We tested the Jeep Wrangler 4xe: the genuine Jeep now as a plug-in hybrid

Truly, it is idyllic to think about the places a Jeep can take you, all the more so when you add the absolute silence of its operation in electric mode. Furthermore, it does so with the utmost respect for nature thanks to its zero emissions in that mode. This is how the brand’s executives in Spain presented it, as the new Jeep capable of combining the best or most extreme of 4×4 with the best of electrification.

The w is a very special car, legendary, that arouses admiration and desire, all the more so if you drive the latest generation, the one at hand, which despite its considerable size stands out for its agility and comfort in equal measure. This could not be said of many of its predecessors, because the Wrangler is already 80 years old and has changed a great deal. In its first generation, the YJ, it was ideal for climbing walls or crossing rocky mountains, but not so much for a pleasure trip.

A true Wrangler, now also efficient for use in the city

In the case of this new Wrangler 4xe, the brand’s engineers emphasize the advantages and virtues of the new Jeep Wrangler plug-in hybrid as a car with a certain urban vocation, thanks to the driving in electric mode. Honestly, marketing arguments are not what interests us most, but this car is very fun to drive, perhaps somewhat imprecise in its steering, yet very comfortable, versatile and agile on asphalt and terribly effective off the road. And in passing, it can travel through the city with zero emissions in electric mode, which allows it to reach the most protected areas of large cities.

The plug-in hybrid variant identified by the 4xe badge is sold exclusively in a long-wheelbase four-door body and with a powerful electrified petrol engine. Jeep decided this was the best way to distribute the extra weight and technology it carries compared with conventional versions, and in addition, this solution allows it to offer the same boot capacity as the rest of the range, that is, 533 litres with the seats folded up.

The new Jeep Wrangler 4xe uses a four-cylinder in-line petrol engine turbocharged with a two-litre capacity. It also fits a main electric motor-generator and a second, smaller motor located inside the eight-speed automatic gearbox. In total we are talking about 380 CV of combined power and 637 Nm of torque, assisted by a 17 kWh, 400-volt lithium-ion battery. This level of power lets it go from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds without any problem, more than enough to enjoy the Wrangler at the wheel, whether on the road or on tracks, where it is king.

Off the asphalt: the Wrangler 4xe remains a genuine 4×4

It is therefore a genuine Wrangler in terms of its performance range, but greener because it can be driven in fully electric mode with a range of more than 50 km in urban cycle WLTP thanks to a battery that fully recharges in less than three hours at 7.4 kW, and a little more than twice that from a domestic socket.

The Jeep hybrid system offers three operating modes. The Hybrid mode leaves operation to the electronics, which always gives priority to consuming electrical energy first until the battery reaches its minimum, or even earlier if a strong increase in torque is demanded. Then there is the Electric mode, in which the Wrangler runs on electric power alone until the battery is depleted and then switches on the petrol engine. And finally there is the eSave mode, which gives priority to the combustion engine and conserves the battery charge so it can be used when the driver requires it, for example on arrival in a city.

There are other complementary options, such as the charge scheduling system or charging the battery with the combustion engine on the move, also taking advantage of energy from regenerative braking, in which case it can recover up to 80% of the charge. Thanks to its electrified and efficient nature, it offers a consumption of 3.5 litres per 100 km in hybrid mode according to the WLTP cycle, although if we cannot use the hybrid system during our test drive, consumption easily rises to twelve litres per 100 km.

But if we are talking about genuine Jeep vehicles, it is an essential requirement that they have an almost unrivalled off-road capability. And this one has it. All Wrangler 4xe models have permanent all-wheel drive, the Selec-Trac system on the Sahara 4xe and 80th Anniversary 4xe, and the most complete, Rock-Trac, only on the Rubicon, the most extreme version. Under normal conditions, drive goes only to the rear wheels, which can be switched via a lever to all-wheel drive in automatic mode, or to all-wheel drive for temporary use with the centre differential locked, before engaging the low-range transfer case, for when things get really nasty.

A very important and interesting point is that even with the low-range transfer case selected, the aforementioned operating modes remain available: Hybrid, Electric and eSave. That is to say, we could be using low range on an extreme off-road trail and, if the battery is fully charged, we could do so in fully electric mode. With such an engine and power, both electric and petrol, such a level of torque and the exquisite automatic gearbox, the ability to overcome obstacles and pass where anyone would think it impossible is only a small challenge for the Wrangler 4xe.

Everything is easy and smooth, and it is more likely that the driver will back off before the Jeep does. To make sure this does not happen, the Jeep Wrangler comes standard with a camera just ahead… to see where we have to go. But at times you have to be very brave.

The new Jeep Wrangler plug-in hybrids are now on sale in Sahara, Rubicon and 80th Anniversary trims, with a price starting at 68,900 euros for the Sahara. The Rubicon is priced at 70,800 euros and is better equipped, and the 80th Anniversary costs 72,300 euros. The brand offers a multitude of financial products to make buying the Jeep Wrangler easier, such as its own financing scheme, with which a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe can be acquired from 360 euros a month over 36 instalments, plus a deposit of 15,300 euros and a final instalment of 48,034.35 euros.

Image gallery of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe

Technical specifications of this car

Off-RoadJeep Wrangler2 versions · from 87,750 €