Jeep's EV design language wows retailers

Jeep's electrification plans have at least one dealer charged up to get a new Jeep dealership.

Las Vegas dealer Josh Towbin sold his previous Jeep store, but now he wants back in as the brand reshapes its lineup with electrified vehicles. This includes the Recon and Wagoneer S battery-electric vehicles that made appearances at a Stellantis dealer meeting last month in Las Vegas.

Stellantis detailed more than 30 new products for numerous brands at the meeting, the first of its kind in eight years for retailers who were with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles before the 2021 merger that brought it and France's PSA Group together as Stellantis.

The Recon is an eco-friendly off-roader inspired by the Wrangler, while the Wagoneer S is an upscale midsize entry with a design language that separates it from its larger three-row counterparts. Both models are slated to go into production in 2024.

Towbin, who owns Towbin Automotive Group, said the Recon's off-road prowess won't be diluted by its electric powertrain. It still has the Jeep DNA, Towbin said, and he enjoys the fact that the doors can be removed to provide the open-air experience the Wrangler is known for.

"I was a fan the second I saw it," Towbin told Automotive News. "I get a vibe for a car, if it's going to be a hit or not, just like a gut feeling. I do pretty good with that. I've been aware of that car for a while, and it's an exciting vehicle. I think that car is just going to be a guaranteed hit. It's got the Jeep off-road capabilities."

Pictures and videos of the Jeep EVs made their rounds online after several dealerships shared them on their social channels. Some of the photos came from Josh Douglas, general manager of Lee Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram in Westbrook, Maine.

That dealership's Facebook page features numerous shots of the electric Jeeps along with a slew of other Stellantis EVs, including the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept and the Ram 1500 Revolution concept that debuted at CES in January.

Douglas said the store posted the images to help build its voice and get its customers excited about what Stellantis is cooking up. But "if they spread beyond that, that's great," he added.

The Recon retains the Jeep look, which is a necessity, Douglas said.

"The best part for me is that they're playing off the Wrangler," Douglas told Automotive News. "One of the cool parts about working for Stellantis is we're still finding ways to make cars with a soul. Everything else is sort of just becoming an appliance."

The Wagoneer S has some visual elements that are new to Jeep, Douglas said. He was impressed with how designers made the crossover aerodynamic.

The plush cabins of vehicles such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer lines continue in the Wagoneer S, he added.

"The industry has sort of created this expectation that electric vehicles have some certain design elements, and I think they really did a good job of staying true to Jeep, but still incorporating differentiators so that it is an EV," Douglas said.

Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions, said the Wagoneer S looks like it was built to bring in a wealthier clientele. Making it smaller yet fully electric will put the Wagoneer S up against models such as the upcoming Range Rover EV.

"The idea that they would branch out beyond the full-size Wagoneers leads back to the Jeep ideal that the brand has legs that they can stretch in different directions," Fiorani said. "The Jeep cachet is coming with it."

Jeep is targeting a range of 400 miles for the Wagoneer S and aims to have 600 hp and a 0 to 60 mph time of around 3.5 seconds.

Towbin said the Wagoneer S is coming to the table with the kind of performance seen on the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, which featured the supercharged V-8 engine used in Dodge Hellcats.

Brian Moody, executive editor of Autotrader/Kelley Blue Book, said it's critical that Jeep, as one of the industry's strongest brands, maintain a consistent design language with its EVs.

"The Wrangler is Jeep's North Star, and the brand needs to be careful about venturing too far off course with designs that are too soft, too curved — more fashion week runway than a Rubicon weekend," Moody said in an email.

"Certainly, the Jeep team wants to stretch further up market and take on Land Rover and Cadillac, but strong brands can't forget their roots in doing so," Moody added.