Most off-roaders promise the earth and then wheeze like a 40-a-day smoker the moment they leave tarmac. Not the Jeep Recon. This new electric monster is the sort of mate who doesn’t moan about rain, dives straight into the bog and comes out grinning. And I love it, because it finally proves that electric cars don’t have to be boring little pods for people who think adventure is a trip to the garden centre. The Recon is built to disappear over the horizon, powered by a plug instead of a petrol station. Welcome to the future of proper driving, where silence is golden and torque is instant.
Visually, it grabs you by the throat. Classic Jeep: boxy, brutal, seven-slot grille now glowing like it’s had one too many energy drinks. Modern touches include U-shaped daytime lights, a glossy black roof and your choice of fixed panoramic glass or a sky one-touch power top that opens with one lazy prod. Doors? Whip them off by hand, no tools required, just like the old Wrangler. Stick a spare wheel on the tailgate and suddenly you look ready to vanish for the weekend instead of popping to the shops.
Beauty without brains is pointless. The Recon has both. Two electric motors, 650 horsepower, 813 Nm of torque delivered the instant you think about moving. Zero to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, even if you’re pointing uphill through a river. Traction is sorted by Select-Terrain modes for sand, snow, rock and, on the top-spec Moab version, a proper rock-crawling setting. Flick a switch for the rear e-locker and every last newton-metre goes exactly where it’s needed. No wheelspin, just progress.
Off-road ability is where it humiliates the old guard. 23 cm of ground clearance, 33-inch all-terrain tyres, 34-degree approach and departure angles, steel skid plates and beefy driveshafts built to survive the sort of torque that would snap a normal 4×4 in half. Jeep calls it the first fully electric trail-rated SUV. They’re not joking. Crawl up something stupidly steep using Select-Speed Control and it keeps the pace steady while you sip coffee and admire the view. All in near-silence. No roaring engine, no diesel fumes – just birdsong and the crunch of gravel.
Inside it’s tough but clever. Mud-proof materials, a 14.5-inch central screen, 12.3-inch driver display and – thank the lord – proper knobs for volume and climate instead of burying everything in menus. More than 170 safety systems, 360-degree cameras that work equally well parking outside Waitrose or threading between boulders. The battery is a 100.5 kWh, 400-volt pack sealed against floods, good for around 400 km in standard trim (a touch less on the Moab because of the monster tyres). Plenty when the journey is the point.
The big question: is it coming here? Yes. After North America gets first dibs in early 2026, Europe follows by late 2026 or early 2027. It effectively replaces the mid-size combustion Wrangler and will be tweaked for our rules and our generous EV incentives. Expect something around €65,000 before grants – serious money, but you’re buying the most capable electric off-roader on the planet.
Why am I excited? Because the Recon proves electric cars can be savage, exciting and utterly unstoppable. The instant shove pins you back even on a muddy incline, running costs are a fraction of a thirsty V8, and you leave nothing behind except tyre tracks. This is adventure without the guilt trip.
In short, the Jeep Recon isn’t just another SUV. It’s a ticket to go anywhere, powered by electrons instead of excuses.
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