Jeep just announced three exciting new models during their 4xe day media launch on September 8th. While one of these new vehicles, the Jeep Avenger, will be available in Europe exclusively. Stellantis says that the other two, the Jeep Wagoneer S and the Jeep Recon, will be the world's first "fully electric, Global SUVs" when launched in 2024.
The new electric Wagoneer S appears to be a natural, luxurious evolution of the current Wagoneer lineup. The Recon, however, catches the eye as only a shiny new toy from Jeep can do. Chief design officer at Stellantis, Ralph Gilles, says it best in this Jeep YouTube clip by saying that the new Recon is "designed to put a smile on your face".
It appears that they've gotten that part right in the design language at the very least. With little known on the other specifications, we're anxious to see if the Recon will still "put a smile on your face" from the driver's seat.
The Recon Has Real Jeep Performance
The team at Stellantis is not being coy about the reputation of Jeep as a brand with any of these new 4xe models. Especially not the Recon. They're already positioning this one as an off-road adventure vehicle. With the comment, "This all-new vehicle is aimed at those who love to explore extreme adventures in near silence with a rugged, fully electric vehicle package." right out of the gate, it's very obvious what the intent is, even if we don't have all the details yet.
What we do know is the basics; the Recon is supposed to be an all-new design, all Jeep, and designed from the ground up as a 4wd vehicle. The all-electric powertrain means that they get to add this into their push for becoming the leading electrified SUV brand in the world. They're looking to have 100% of their European lineup (as well as 50% of the US lineup) fully electric by 2030. We also know that the Recon will have some form of selectable 4wd, named "Jeep Selec-Terrain", as well as "e-locker axle technology". That last one is particularly interesting.
Perhaps the engineers are also hoping to stay at the top of the heap when it comes to off-road prowess in this new EV world. Newcomers such as the Rivian R1T have gotten rave reviews when it comes to off-road capabilities. Jeep certainly wants to be seen as the premier off-road choice when it comes to electric vehicles in the future.
The Recon Is All Jeep All-Around
There are plenty of typical Jeep features that jump out on the new Recon. Jeep is the kind of brand that has a very strong identity, one that they rarely hide in their design of a new model. Right off the bat, you'll notice that they've given the Recon not only a one-touch power top but also removable doors AND windows. Styling-wise, I'm a big fan of the removable rear quarter windows.
All signs point to that being a feature on the production model, let's hope it sticks around. Outside the removable doors and windows, there's a newly redesigned version of the Jeep Uconnect system to look forward to. The new system promises users detailed "travel guides" for prominent off-road trails. Anyone taking bets on the Rubicon trail is at the top of that list of travel guides?
I'm sure it will have its place. In fact, Jeep does a little Rubicon shout-out in the press release, stating that the Recon will, in fact, be able to run the entire route with enough range left to get back to town and recharge. Exciting news for Jeepers that are looking to test out the capability of their new Recon.
Is The Recon The Highly Anticipated Successor To The Wrangler
There's no doubt that the Wrangler is the most iconic vehicle in the Jeep lineup. Not only that, the brand's first attempt at an electrified Wrangler, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, has been a runaway success by all accounts. It's currently the best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle in the US. A fact that would seem like a pure fantasy only 15 years ago when the last generation JK models were introduced.
Times have certainly changed since then. The current JL Wranglers have more options than ever and seem to be even more popular as time goes on. But, just how long will the public accept such a primitively designed vehicle? As much as it pains the enthusiasts to think about it, there is likely a day in the not-too-distant future where live axle, body-on-frame SUVs like the Jeep Wrangler will cease to exist together. Maybe the Recon is a glimmer of hope in that dystopian future.
Source: Stellantis North America, Jeep