Watch: 600bhp Jeep Wagoneer S outpaces Tesla Model Y
The Wagoneer S will be Jeep's new range-topping model
Jeep's second EV will be revealed on 30 May, with performance that outstrips even V8 Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
The new Jeep Wagoneer S electric SUV will be revealed on 30 May, claiming sports car levels of performance and a range of more than 300 miles.
Launching in autumn, the Wagoneer S will be Jeep's first electric car to go on sale globally, with the much smaller Avenger restricted to Europe. Sales are due to begin in the UK early next year.
Ahead of its official debut in New York at the end of the month, Jeep has released a preview video which shows the Wagoneer S going up against its primary rival, the Tesla Model S, at California's Willow Springs Raceway.
The 600bhp Jeep is shown to outpace the most potent Performance version of Tesla's crossover in a 0-60mph sprint, clocking a time of 3.4secs compared to the 483bhp Model Y's 3.5.
The Wagoneer S is aided off the line by a huge 617lb ft of torque, which is almost as much as the raucous supercharged V8 which powers the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk - which, Jeep notes, is about to superseded as the brand's quickest-accelerating car.
The range-topper – which adopts a sleek new look far removed from the straight-edged Jeeps that have gone before – will arrive with a raft of premium features, Jeep has promised.
In images revealed earlier this year, the Wagoneer's cabin is shown to have at least four digital screens: a digital dial display behind the steering wheel, a large central infotainment touchscreen, a smaller touchscreen below that for controlling features such as the climate control and another large touchscreen for the front passenger.
The Wagoneer S also features several buttons on the steering wheel, plus what appear to be haptic feedback buttons on the centre of the dashboard.
Jeep says a panoramic sunroof is also standard, plus ambient lighting, while a 19-speaker audio system will be available as an option.
The Wagoneer S will be one of the first models to sit on Jeep parent company Stellantis’s new STLA Large architecture, shared with the Wrangler-esque Recon which is due a few months later.
In the US, Jeep already sells combustion-engined Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer models, having revived the storied name – first used in 1962 – in 2020 as the base for a new family of premium SUVs.