Jeep Wagoneer S Launch May Be Delayed If 'Quality Isn’t Perfect:' CEO

Jeep’s first U.S.-bound EV is scheduled to reach dealerships this fall, but Antonio Filosa said quality is more important than timing.

2024 Jeep Wagoneer S Trailhawk

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

Sep 11, 2024 at 6:26am ET

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The 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S is the company's first all-electric SUV in North America.
It carries a lot of responsibility on its shoulders; Jeep hopes it will sell well.
But its launch, scheduled for this Fall, may be postponed if the "quality isn't perfect," according to the marques CEO.

The Jeep Wagoneer S is the American off-road marque’s first-ever mass-produced electric vehicle to be sold stateside, so it’s a pretty big deal. A mid-size EV, the Wagoneer S was supposed to reach dealerships this fall, but that might change as the company’s CEO, Antonio Filosa, wants to focus on quality rather than timing.

“I want perfect quality, and I know that we are close, but close is not good enough,” Filosa told Automotive News. “Timing is important, but more important than that is to be perfect for the consumers that will give us the privilege to buy this car,” he added.

That’s a tough order to follow, seeing how Jeep has consistently finished near or under the average predicted reliability rates for new vehicles in the United States. In last year’s Consumer Reports predicted reliability chart, Jeep finished on 26 out of 30 brands. In J.D. Power’s 2024 Vehicle Dependability Study, the off-road-focused automaker was bang on the average, with 190 problems per 100 vehicles. By comparison, Lexus, the first on the list, had 135 problems per 100 vehicles on average, while Chrysler, the last on the list, had 310 problems per 100 vehicles.

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The Wagoneer S will be built in Mexico and Jeep says it will be eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit both when purchasing and leasing, which will help bring down its price. With a body slightly larger than the best-selling Tesla Model Y, the top-spec Wagoneer S Launch Edition–the first to be available–will carry a starting price of $71,995 including destination.

It’s powered by a 100.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack that enables an estimated range of over 300 miles. The top trim also comes with a 600-horsepower dual-motor all-wheel drive setup that’s good for a zero to 60 miles per hour sprint in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 124 mph.

Gallery: 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S

Jeep Wagoneer S

Inside, the usable screen real estate comes out to an impressive 45 inches (diagonal) made out of four separate displays. Premium materials like ceramic-coated aluminum and microfiber suede indicate that Jeep wants this to be an upmarket vehicle.

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The main reason why the automaker’s chief wants to up the quality game has to do with sales. In the first quarter, U.S. sales dipped 19% year over year. In the first half, they declined 9.3% year over year, with every model except the Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee SUVs going down.

Things are changing, though. According to Filosa, sales in the U.S. increased approximately 12% in August due to price cuts and more aggressive marketing campaigns. But can it keep up the momentum in what seems to be a tough time for some EV makers? We’ll just have to wait and see.

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