The All-New Wagoneer S Is The Most Aerodynamic Jeep® Ever

In the quest to merge luxury with sustainability, Jeep® has crafted a masterstroke with the all-electric Wagoneer S (KX). Among its innovative features, the standout is a cleverly designed rear wing, which adds a striking aesthetic touch and significantly boosts the vehicle’s aerodynamics, propelling its range beyond the 300-mile (483-kilometer) mark. This ingenious solution underscores Jeep’s commitment to blending style, performance, and eco-friendliness into their latest SUV.

From Tadpole to Wing: Crafting an Aerodynamic Marvel – 

Viewed from the side, the Wagoneer S presents a silhouette reminiscent of most two-row luxury SUVs, strongly resembling the current two-row Grand Cherokee (WL74). However, a rear view reveals a distinctive design twist: a giant wing atop sail-shaped D-pillars. This wing, paired with a shallower rear window angle and longer taper, creates a teardrop-like form that is far more aerodynamically efficient than the typical SUV’s boxy form.

“To hit the aero target, we kept realizing that we had to create a very tapered profile,” said Ralph Gilles, Stellantis Chief Design Officer, in an interview with Motor1. “We had to taper it to basically a tadpole shape and none of us liked the look of it. So the wing became a solution to keep the profile attractive and get the benefits of the aero so it doesn’t spoil the design.”

The traditional SUV shape creates a wake of turbulence, dragging the vehicle rearward. The Wagoneer S effectively guides air back together by adopting a teardrop silhouette, minimizing this turbulence. The result is a drag coefficient of 0.294, equal to a first-generation Prius, making the Wagoneer S the most aerodynamic Jeep product ever.

An Accidental Innovation – 

Interestingly, the pass-through wing that defines the rear of the Wagoneer S started as a design embellishment. “Initially, it was literally just there to look cool and carry the [rear-view] camera,” Gilles told Motor1. However, as the design team experimented, they discovered that the wing could be twisted and turned to guide air behind the vehicle, enhancing its aerodynamics.

“The really sloped roofline is absolutely one of the biggest enablers of how we got the 0.294 [Cd],” explained Alison Rahm, Vice President of Product Development at Stellantis. “It was a lot of work there to get the roof down and then be able to manage the air as it comes off the roof, which the wing lets us do.”

Engineering Elegance – 

Creating this functional yet stylish wing was no small feat. Rahm highlighted the challenges: “What I tried to do for a long time was to put a center touchdown to the roof, because it hangs so far out, and there’s so much mass in it,” she said. Gilles, however, was appalled by that idea. “And then you’ve got the vibration you have to worry about. The digital rearview mirror camera is in the wing. So I had to make sure, as people are staring at the mirror, that it’s not oscillating. Finding the right way to get the stability without making it ugly, without adding all this unnecessary weight […] that was probably one of our greatest challenges.”

Source: Motor 1