What’s Next for the 4xe Models?

Sometimes, in order to keep up with the times, you only have to make adjustments to things that are already great rather than creating an all-new product from scratch. If you head to Zimmer CDJR, your Covington Jeep dealership, in the hopes of finding a Wrangler or even a Grand Cherokee, you’ll be in luck. However, should you wait on your purchase? And, why should you wait, you may be wondering? Jeep has been hard at work at reimagining its lineup, and it’s planning on extending this technology to its entire lineup over the next several years. Denoted by the new 4xe label, this is Jeep’s answer to the hybrid marketplace that has been ramping up over the past decade or so.

Why should you care about the 4xe label? The race to fulfill a mostly omission-free set of automobiles is something that manufacturers are battling out, and Jeep is the rule, not the exception. Electric vehicles are slated to bring forth a host of benefits that you can’t get with your standard gasoline powertrain, and seeing EVs on the road is becoming a more common sight every day. Not too long ago, hybrids and EVs were seen as more of a novelty to the masses, and their lowly performance and somewhat decent efficiency only furthered their point for a while. Now that the technology has had time to fully develop, it’s becoming less niche and more of a norm. So, what are Jeep’s current plans for the 4xe?

Wrangler 4xe

The Wrangler 4xe first launched last year and was an immediate hit with fans, critics, and the like. Many of those who were skeptical that a vehicle as large as the Wrangler could successfully offer up an electric powertrain was proven quite wrong by the outcome. Simply put, if the 4xe couldn’t live up to the Wrangler name, it would have never been attempted. Fortunately, the Wrangler 4xe is what many would consider being the perfect fit. Additionally, the Wrangler 4xe has the horsepower and torque to outperform most of the regular gas-powered Wrangler models.

Whereas the original Wrangler uses one of four available engines, two of which are powerful V6 engines, there’s only one powertrain option for the Wrangler 4xe. This powertrain is slated to combine a turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder engine with motors and a 17kWh battery. Like the standard Wrangler, the transmission of choice will be an 8-speed automatic, but what is perhaps the most impressive is the power of the vehicle itself. For example, the best Wrangler model includes a 3.6L V6 that produces 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, and for the best torque output, you’ll want the Ecodiesel V6 that produces 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. On the Wrangler 4xe, the hybrid engine produces an impressive 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque.

Unlike your typical hybrids, there are a few different ways that your Wrangler 4xe can get you moving. The Wrangler 4xe offers different modes so you can optimize the performance of the engine. You can put it into Electric Mode to run just using the battery. Switch it over to eSave Mode and let the gas engine do all the work and save the battery power. Lastly, Hybrid Mode gives you the best of both energy worlds. EPA-estimated ratings for the 2022 model haven’t been confirmed yet, but chances are they’ll be relatively similar to last year’s model. For reference, the 2021 Wrangler 4xe had a combined city and highway rating of 49 MPGe. In total, the vehicle could travel a total of 370 miles when all of the powertrain components are combined.

Grand Cherokee 4xe

There’s not as much info readily available for the Grand Cherokee 4xe, but here’s what we do know. The Grand Cherokee 4xe is built much like the Wrangler 4xe, but there’s plenty of speculation that’s circulating regarding its potential power. From what we can gather, the performance profile should be relatively similar to the Wrangler’s hybrid option, but this is still purely based on speculation. Reportedly, the Grand Cherokee 4xe is going to feature the same 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, with what’s most likely to be an 8-speed automatic transmission. How this is achieved, and if it’s the same powertrain as the Wrangler 4xe, that remains to be seen.

Chances are high that the Grand Cherokee 4xe and Wrangler 4xe are going to perform very well on the show floor. Timing is important with these kinds of releases, and that’s because most manufacturers are currently fighting their way to superiority in the hybrid and electric scene. It’s not that easy, however. It’s a process that takes years, and it’s simply not possible without decades of research and development. There’s no mistaking that the earliest hybrid models were underpowered, niche, and underwhelming, to say the least, but now that we’re seeing big-name manufacturers like Jeep throwing their hat into the ring, it’s hard not to get excited.

These two vehicles have likely been in development for far longer than anyone realizes, but the Wrangler 4xe had the honor of being the first of its kind released in Jeep’s lineup. This was a momentous, yet understandably scary, time for Jeep as we’ve seen other hybrids and electric vehicles do not fare so well, including battery recalls. However, we think that Jeep will have put all of the necessary care, development, and testing to ensure this doesn’t happen with their platform.

The Grand Cherokee 4xe is the next slated release in Jeep’s latest quest to secure their place amongst the greats yet again with a tried and true favorite. How will it do? Only time will tell, but from what we have seen so far, it’s looking quite promising.

The Long Road

We’re at an exciting crossroads in the automotive industry where some drivers feel that electric vehicles are ready for the mainstream, and others don’t. Like most technology brands out there, it’s never perfect on the first try, and in fact, multiple iterations will pass with slight changes each time until the perfect product has been made. Luckily, there have been a lot of attempts with this technology made in the past, and the industry has had the time needed to study and adapt its platforms to make the best product possible.

What first started with the Prius, which was understandably yet undeniably low powered for the time, with very little appeal to the masses, has blossomed into a revolution of technological advancement. Some people may not realize, but the interest in these automobiles never subsided, but rather was improved upon for many years, and now we’re beginning to finally see the fruits of that labor.

With that said, should you spring for the newest Wrangler 4xe or Grand Cherokee 4xe? We say yes, and that’s because the 4xe variants aren’t stopping here, but rather Jeep claims they’re currently planning on migrating all of its vehicles to electrics and hybrids over the next half-decade or so. Should people be optimistic, cautious, or both? We feel like both are what many will feel, but we assure you that optimism is the main feeling you should take away from these announcements because it is time to get excited about the new face of the automotive industry.