National buyers guide reveals all the mechanical and equipment details for upcoming plug-in hybrid SUV
Jeep Australia has inadvertently revealed key local specifications for its upcoming 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve 4xe plug-in hybrid, months ahead of its release Down Under late this year.
In today’s press release detailing the new five-seat Grand Cherokee range, Jeep’s local division said details of its inaugural plug-in hybrid (PHEV) would be revealed closer to the model’s launch much later in 2023.
But all of the vehicle’s local specs – including powertrain and standard equipment details – are now detailed in the just-released ‘2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Buyers Guide’ accessible via the brand’s Australian website.
And the headline numbers include an ADR-certified combined fuel consumption figure of 3.2L/100km (which well down from the 9.9L/100km of V6-powered five-seat Grand Cherokees) and, perhaps more importantly, a maximum braked towing capacity of 2722kg – less than the already lacklustre V6 (2813kg).
Compared like-for-like, the upcoming PHEV’s tow rating is 91kg lower than the V6-powered Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve and the five-seat Overland; both of which ride on the same Quadra Lift air suspension and utilise the same Quadra-Trac II 4×4 system.
This is a significant turn up for the books given the amount of noise global and national Jeep executives have made about the towing potential of the Grand Cherokee 4xe, following the axing of diesel and V8 power for the new Grand Cherokee.
Company CEO Christian Meunier declared back in 2021 that in terms of towing capability, the first Grand Cherokee PHEV would be “as competent as a V8”.
“Towing is core to Jeep so we wouldn’t compromise on it, but we’ve tested Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe and towing is at least as good as with an ICE engine,” he said at the time.
“The 4xe at the end of the day, in terms of capabilities – torque and everything – is as competent as a V8. And obviously fuel economy and everything is no comparison. So we’re looking towards the future.”
The turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder PHEV powertrain is certainly a V8-killer in terms of fuel consumption and outputs – 280kW/637Nm v 266kW/529Nm, but not when it comes to towing.
V6 diesel versions of the previous Grand Cherokee were rated to tow up to 3500kg, and 5.7-litre V8 variants of the new Grand Cherokee available in the US offer a maximum braked towing capacity of 3266kg.
The buyer’s guide also reveals the Summit Reserve 4xe’s significantly higher 2536kg tare weight, reduced tow hitch download (233kg v 281kg) and lower gross combined mass (5442kg v 5557kg) compared to the other five-seat variants.
But while the mechanical package and towing capabilities vary compared to the V6 variants, the rest of the Summit Reserve 4xe’s standard equipment list largely falls into line with that of the Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve, save for a few key PHEV-specific goodies like a battery charge readout.
Headline equipment thereby includes 21-inch alloy wheels, quilted Palermo leather-trimmed upholstery, 12-way power-adjustable heated front seats with massage and memory function, Berber floor mats, deluxe headliner, black painted roof and a premium 19-speaker McIntosh high performance audio system.
There’s also imitation wood trim on the instrument panel, steering wheel and doors, illuminated sill plates, multi-colour ambient lighting, hands-free powered tailgate, proximity wake-up, dual-pane panoramic sunroof and automatic LED headlights with auto high-beam function.
The only key detail really missing is the asking price, however, a starting figure north of $110,000 plus on-road costs is all but guaranteed given the Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve V6 opens at $115,950.
There’s every chance the Summit Reserve 4xe could end up eclipsing the $120,000 mark and becoming the most expensive Jeep product offered in Australia to date, on account of its more advanced powertrain requiring extra engineering and development time.
The Jeep buyer’s guide also details a seven-seat L version of the penultimate Overland trim level, which predictably slots in between the flagship and mid-range L Limited – two variants with a $27,200 price gulf between them, which leaves plenty of room for a circa-$103,000 gap-filler.
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Keyword: Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe specs confirmed for Oz