Tesla Is No Match For Jeep Wagoneer S In Stylish Promo

Jeep wants you to “Surpass Yourself” with their all-new, fully electric Jeep Wagoneer S, which they will be unveiling on Thursday, May 30, in New York City. But don’t just take our word for it. Their stylish new promo for the upcoming vehicle makes a case for self-improvement, particularly when it comes to the 0 to 60 miles per hour times of SUVs. And hey, they even managed to (allegedly) beat the Tesla Model Y performance in a drag race. There will be so many YouTube videos of these cars squaring off in a drag race as soon as this thing hits the market. 

How Jeep “Suprasses” Itself 

According to the promotional video, which accompanies a press release from Stellantis, Jeep’s parent company, they’ve really outdone themselves. But more than that, they’ve outdone Tesla and themselves. There’s nothing like a glossy commercial to pat yourself on the back for shaving 0.1 seconds off your 0 to 60 miles per hour time.

Jeep’s promo almost did too good of a job with their promo. If the camera work were any slicker, if the propulsive synth score were any more epic, this video would be a parody of what it’s trying to celebrate. Now, there’s nothing wrong with the celebratory message of Jeep’s ad – Our skepticism is just a function of us scratching our heads as we ask ourselves: Why do we care about 0 to 60 times if we’re buying a Jeep? It’s a Jeep. Are we taking it to Isla Nublar to outrun a T-Rex? If we care that much about 0 to 60 times, we’ll buy a Dodge Charger. 

What To Expect From The Wagoneer S 

Let’s get the vital information out of the way. Jeep wants you to know that the Wagoneer S is their quickest-accelerating production car yet. Its 3.4 seconds 0 to 60 miles per hour time surpassed that of the Tesla Model Y Performance and the automaker’s previously quickest production vehicle, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, which both rocket from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds.

Additionally, Jeep’s video promises that the Wagoneer S will generate serious power with 600 horsepower and a whopping 617 pound-feet of torque. The Wagoneer S also has a dual-motor setup, all-wheel drive, and an 800-volt architecture. Maybe Jeep really does want people to take the Wagoneer S on a prehistoric safari to outrun dinosaurs. 

According to Jeep, the Wagoneer S will have a driving range of around 300 miles, more than the Model Y Performance. The Wagoneer S will ride on the STLA Large platform, the same platform as Dodge’s Charger Daytona models with a 100.5-kWh battery. Like that vehicle, the Wagoneer S may also get a combustion engine. 

The Gas-Powered Wagoneer Has Been A Success

The first quarter of 2024 was not the start that Jeep’s parent company, Stellantis, hoped for. Domestically, their overall shipments were down by 20 percent, while their net revenues were down 15 percent. However, sales for the internal combustion engine (ICE) Jeep Wagoneer more than doubled during the first three months of this year.

Even though we are firmly amid the electric vehicle (EV) revolution, ICE vehicles are still very popular with consumers. Since the current Wagnoeer is selling well for Jeep, and the STLA Large Platform supports ICE and electric powertrains, there’s a good chance Stellantis will opt to go the Dodge Charger route with the new Wagoneer S.

STLA Large Platform

It’s a smart move on Stellanti’s part. For example, the STLA Large Platform can produce any powertrain currently on the market: hybrid, ICE, or EV. This is why, besides coming as an EV, the new Dodge Charger Daytona also has options for a Hurricane inline-six or a twin-turbo 3.0-liter engine, generating 420 or 550 horsepower. 

The type of flexibility this platform gives Stellantis allows them to pivot their production focus to meet consumer demand or government regulations. Why not offer hybrid, fully electric, and ICE-powered versions of the Wagoneer S? 

People Love Taking On Tesla

While Tesla was untouchable for a while, other automakers are starting to catch up to and surpass them now. Before the Wagoneer S (allegedly) beat the Tesla Model Y Performance in their promo, the Lucid Sapphire annihilated Tesla’s fastest production car, the Model S Plaid, in a quarter-mile race. In doing so, the Lucid Sapphire became the quickest production car on the planet. 

While it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison between the Wagoneer S and the Sapphire, we must point out that the latter can rip from 0 to 60 in just 1.77 seconds. That’s almost half the time of Jeep’s champion. Still, we’d be excited to see some YouTubers pit the Wagoneer S and a Tesla Model Y Performance against each other in a quarter-mile drag race and see if Jeep’s claims hold up.