It’s the coming together of two worlds – the utilitarian Jeep Wrangler, and the electric future.
The Wrangler has been given a new powertrain in its range, with a new name: the 4xe (4-by- ‘e’) and it purports to offer everything that is good about the off-roader with increased power and economy, plus some eco-credentials borrowed from the Toyota Prius’ book.
Launched following the unveiling of Jeep’s new electrifying plan for all its models, the Renegade and Cherokee plus the Compass will also be given the new powertrains to bring them up to date.
Here we’ll focus first and foremost on the Wrangler, which is interesting given its arguably more hardcore approach than the other crossovers and SUVs.
Jeep Wrangler 4xe Hybrid Combines Capability With Economy
Jeep’s Wrangler, despite being a small-to-mid-size vehicle, weighs a considerable amount even with the small engine.
With a 4000-4200 lb. curb weight for the 2-liter gasoline engine, it’s not a heavyweight, but it's not light either, then the Rubicon V8 option will go up to 5100 lbs.
For the 4xe – it’s the 2.0-liter turbocharged 270 hp engine with 295 lb-ft of torque, but with an additional 800 lbs of hybrid gear on top of that, bringing the weight up there with the V8.
Transmission is provided by an 8-speed auto and power goes through all 4 wheels while braking is supplied by vented discs all around.
The V8 doesn’t have the option of running 20 miles on electric power alone though, which provides the electric motor’s 134 hp and no more in that mode, quite a lot in a 5,000 pound car.
Still, when it’s combining the electric power with the internal combustion engine it makes for a total of 375 hp and 470 lb.-ft, not bad when you consider the Rubicon 392’s 6.4-liter engine makes 470 hp and 470 lb.-ft and 4.5-seconds to 60mph.
That’s because the 2-liter when combined with the PHEV powertrain makes only 100hp less than the HEMI V8 and takes only 1-2 seconds more to reach 60 mph, depending on where you check.
For charging, it’s also fast, with 2 hours charging time with the upgraded Jeep charging package, otherwise, your standard outlet will take 12 hours.
The Jeep Wrangler Hybrid Can Be Specced As A Luxurious SUV
Apart from the powertrain - which interestingly the 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder is an option also on the Cherokee with a 9-speed automatic gearbox – there are many trims and options to sift through as you build your Jeep online on the configurator at Jeep.com.
Firstly, the trims for the 4xe go from the Sahara to Rubicon to High-Altitude, the price premium for the entry-level Sahara is still $3,000 over the base Wrangler with the petrol engine only at $53,000 without extra options.
This goes up to $55,000 then $57,000 for the top-of-the-range spec.
For the base model, you get 20-inch wheels (standard 18-inches on gasoline model), an 8.4-inch display, leather seats, and much more – if you fancy sprucing up your Wrangler don’t worry because there are a plethora of add-ons for the exterior and even an American flag sticker for the hood.
You’ll be given a 3-year warranty good for 36,000 miles (12,000 per year) to enjoy the car with no worry for its wellbeing as you direct it through fields, sand dunes, and thick mud or snow.
As for the High Altitude, which costs from $58,640, blind spot cross path detection, remote keyless entry, premium dark exterior accents, rear-window wiper/washer, 3-piece hardtop (the Sahara has a soft top) are just some of the extras you get for upgrading.
Whether you will reach 49 MPG in this Wrangler, or whether 134 hp is enough while in electric mode for the weight of the vehicle, and even if you prefer naturally aspirated big capacity engines – this is a step forward for Jeep and the Wrangler, with reasonable execution for most users.