Jeep Takes New Wagoneer S To New Zealand for Extreme EV Testing

The 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S is a hugely important vehicle for the carmaker, marking its entry into the BEV space in the U.S. and positioned as a rival to the Tesla Model Y. Jeep unveiled the new model back in May, but testing and development of it is continuing, and a team of engineers recently headed to New Zealand to torture test the SUV.

According to Jeep chief executive Antonio Filosa, the dynamics and performance of the Wagoneer S are being perfected in the icy and snowy conditions of New Zealand. Dancing and drifting on the snow, the EV certainly looks impressive. Filosa notes the Selec-Terrain traction management system includes a Snow mode, and testing the new model in conditions like this will be essential to ensure it performs well in North American winters, too.

Read: New Jeep Wagoneer S Packs A 600 HP Punch, But Will It KO Tesla At $72K?

Found beneath the sleek skin of the Wagoneer S is a 100 kWh battery that drives a pair of electric motors combining to produce 600 hp and 617 lb-ft (837 Nm) of torque. Despite the SUV tipping the scales at a portly 5,667 lbs (2,570 kg), Jeep says it needs just 3.4 seconds to hit 60 mph (96 km/h), which makes it quicker than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Of course, the Wagoneer S misses out on the intoxicating V8 burble of the Trackhawk.

Jeep says the EV can be recharged from 20-80% in 23 minutes through a DC fast charger and should be good for more than 300 miles (482 km) of range on a single charge, an impressive figure given the performance on offer. Aiding in the range is the fact the Wagoneer S has the lowest drag coefficient of any Jeep ever at just 0.29, the same as the Tesla Model 3.

While Jeep’s first foray into the world of BEVs appears impressive, it won’t be cheap, with prices starting at $71,995. How will consumers respond to the electric SUV? Only time will tell.