Stellantis showed off a raft of future products to its dealerships in Las Vegas, including the upcoming Jeep Recon and Wagoneer S electric SUVs.
Recon
In photos shared by dealership Lee Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Westbrook, as well as on the Jeep Recon Forum, we can see the vehicles at their in-person reveal.
It seems likely both vehicles will get a more public reveal soon, potentially at next month’s Easter Jeep Safari or the New York motor show.
The Recon, the more rugged of the two, was revealed in Moab trim. The town in Utah has great significance to the brand as it’s the site of the annual Easter Jeep Safari and is near the Rubicon Trail where Jeep puts its SUVs to the test.
It’s designed to tackle the famous trail, and will enter production in the US in 2024 along with another vehicle shown in Las Vegas, tentatively called the Wagoneer S.
Wagoneer S
Both will use Stellantis’ STLA Large EV architecture designed around the needs of electric vehicles (EVs).
They’ve been confirmed for an Australian launch and, while Jeep hasn’t specified timing, we’d suggest 2025 would be a good bet given the cars’ home market will likely be prioritised for initial production runs.
Jeep recently said it wanted 50 per cent of sales in the US and 100 per cent of sales in Europe to be battery-electric vehicles by 2030.
Brand CEO Christian Meunier has said the vast majority of future Jeep models have been engineered for right-hand drive, and has committed to the Australian market and RHD production in general.
Jeep Recon
The Recon has been designed exclusively as an EV – though its platform supports combustion power – but has a raft of off-road equipment to qualify for Jeep’s Trail-Rated badge.
To that end, it includes e-locker axle technology, under-body protection, tow hooks, off-road tyres, and Jeep’s Selec-Terrain traction management system.
Like the Wrangler and Gladiator, the doors and glass can be removed, and there’s also a one-touch folding roof.
Jeep also says it’ll feature detailed travel guides of notable off-road trails in its latest generation Uconnect infotainment system.
The Recon wears its spare wheel on the tailgate like a Wrangler, while there are flared wheel arches and a closed-off version of Jeep’s trademark seven-slot grille, with the slots featuring illuminated borders.
While the Recon is Jeep’s rugged EV equivalent to the Wrangler, don’t expect a Recon ute to give buyers an electric alternative to the Gladiator.
“I don’t see the benefits of doing a pickup on the Recon when we have a Gladiator that is doing very well,” Mr Meunier told CarExpert, adding the Gladiator will be electrified.
Jeep Wagoneer S
The Wagoneer S – a placeholder name – is a mid-sized premium electric SUV though, despite its dramatically different styling, it shares its STLA Large EV underpinnings with the Recon and other future Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram products.
It’s also completely unrelated to the current, larger Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, which offer petrol and soon plug-in hybrid powertrains and are related to the Ram 1500.
As with the Recon, it will enter production in North America in 2024. It will be part of a new Wagoneer sub-brand that’ll be a “premium extension” of the Jeep brand.
Jeep says it’s targeting a range of 644km and a 0-60mph (0-96km/h) time of around 3.5 seconds, with the Wagoneer S to produce 447kW of power.
Like the Recon, it features an illuminated seven-slot grille, but it features a different overall shape and design – much like the car itself.
Where the Recon is boxy and upright, the Wagoneer S is sleeker with a more tapered roofline. There are squared-off wheel arches, and a roof-mounted spoiler and full-width light bar down back.
