Previously shorthand for compromise, this “hybrid” is Jeep’s most versatile Grand Cherokee.
Last fall, Jeep’s new fifth-gen Grand Cherokee blew me away. We romped around in the V-8 and V-6 options at the GC’s launch, and noted a hybrid waiting in the wings. I wondered aloud whether the hybrid GC may prove to be the Goldilocks option, torquier and faster than the V-6, as functional for most Americans as the V-8, but far less thirsty.
Following a drive of the hybrid Grand Cherokee in Austin, Texas, I can confirm my suspicions. Jeep’s got another stellar rig on its hands.
As a primer, this one’s called the Grand Cherokee 4xe (pronounced “four by ‘e’”). Just like the Brits say, this Grand Cherokee does exactly what’s on the tin; it’s an SUV powered by a hybrid drivetrain, with every single ounce of off-road capability you’d expect from a Jeep, and all the on-road civility you’d want in a Grand Cherokee.
And maybe even a little bit more.
“This is the most capable Grand Cherokee every made,” was a common refrain during the presentation, echoed by Jeep’s product manager and its engineers alike. One even called the 4xe more capable off-road than any gas-powered Grand Cherokee ever built.
And this is an important distinction, one which resonates far beyond the scope of a single hybrid SUV.
A hybrid badge is so often shorthand for boring, cut-rate, or de-contended, a visual indicator that the vehicle is less exciting and charismatic than the equivalent gas vehicle. Early hybrids (even the clean-sheet designs) and the framework they established within our culture did little to combat that narrative. Our most famous hybrid — the Toyota Prius — doesn’t conjure images of daring, excitement, or any real desirability. It is, and has always been, merely an appliance for moving sentient hunks of meat from one location to another. A sexless taxi. Nothing more.
The 4xe is something else, but foremost it is a Jeep Grand Cherokee with no caveats. This hybrid system detracts nothing from the baseline excellence set by the Grand Cherokee’s ICE trims. Instead, the 4xe offers Grand Cherokee buyers a legitimate alternative to its V-6 and even V-8 trims, but with none of the concessions forced by most hybrids. Instead, the 4xe offers a different character to its all-gas brethren, which may fit some buyers better than the ICE alternatives.
That’s possible because the 4xe was not conceived as an afterthought. Rather, the Grand Cherokee’s new platform was designed to accommodate everything from the hybrid drivetrain to the traditional naturally aspirated V-8. So the batteries under the floor do not cut into passengers’ rear legroom, nor does the powertrain force any other awkward ergonomic concessions.
About that powertrain; across all trims, the Grand Cherokee 4xe leverages the 2.0-liter direct-injection inline-four borrowed from a handful of other Jeep products, including the recent Wrangler plug-in hybrid. It pairs that mill to a motor behind the engine, integrated with the transmission, which replaces the torque converter. A separate generator/motor applies torque to the front axle and replaces the starter. The powertrain mates to an 8-speed transmission with a two-speed transfer case. Steel skid plates button up the whole package, protecting the batteries and powertrain.
Much of the front structure was constructed with aluminum to cut weight, and Jeep’s engineers routed the front axle through the oil pan to lower the vehicle’s center of gravity more than two inches compared to its ICE counterparts.
The end effect of all that complexity: some astonishing numbers. The 4xe sprints from a stop to sixty in six seconds, nearly one second faster than the V-8 Grand Cherokee. That’s thanks to 470 lb-ft. available from the hybrid system, with instantaneous delivery of torque from a stop. Dedicated heating and cooling loops for the battery system keep that performance available across all conditions, allowing the powertrain to consistently put down 375 hp in total. That’s plenty, but torque is the real star here, especially how it’s delivered.
The 4xe’s eLSD allows the transfer of 100 percent of torque to any wheel, and for torque to be sent to either side of the vehicle exclusively. That trick diff, combined with the lower center of gravity, pays dividends out on the road. Especially on gravel or dirt, where managing the transfer of a vehicle’s weight and maximizing the delivery of power across limited grip is essential.
By virtue of its multilink front suspension, semi-active dampers, and unibody construction, the 4xe maintains the high water mark set during the rollout of the new ICE Grand Cherokees. On the loose red dirt just outside of Austin proper, that half second when you’re waiting for the wallowing body of a body-on-frame SUV to set into a corner disappears (even some unibody utes are guilty of this). The GC 4xe compresses that motion into a tenth of a second. The 4xe handles more like a car here, with no wallow and only a dab of supremely controlled body roll.
We stared down some gnarly off-road sections outside Austin too, every ounce as intimidating as anything from the Grand Cherokee ICE introduction in Moab last fall. The 4xe passed each and every test with flying colors. Moreover, the pure electric power and available torque lend even more capability off-road, allowing the application of precise and silky electric power when you’re staring down a crawl up slippery obstacles. Many of the off-road pros who design these events which show off a Jeep’s capabilities said they’d select the 4xe as their personal wheeling rig, rather than the V-6 or V-8 options.
That’s all to say the 4xe holds up to every last handling plaudit from my previous review and offers more performance on or off-road. Whether or not you choose the 4xe will come down to a couple things: how well its pure electric capabilities fit into your life, and the price.
More on hybrid/electric aspect of the equation: In the 4xe’s interior there’s a three-switch panel that allows you to select between powertrain modes. The “hybrid” switch tries to use cheaper electric miles first, but engages the gas engine when needed. There’s a pure electric button, which runs the vehicle entirely on the batteries’ power, except when absolutely necessary. Then there’s the “E-save mode”, which conserves battery for future use, and runs the car on internal combustion (driving to an off-road trail you’ll run in pure electric mode is the use case here, and fun as hell; Jeep ran the entire Rubicon trail in all-electric mode, just to prove they could).
That offers buyers a ton of flexibility.
Expect 470 miles of total range with batteries topped off and a brimming gas tank. And even when the 4xe’s central display says you’re out of battery power, there’s torque fill coming in from the batteries to hustle you away from stoplights and up to highway speeds. That means you enjoy the benefits of hybrid power, even when your pure electric range is zeroed.
But there is a somewhat limited use case for pure electric power. Rather than a more expansive array of batteries that would offer more electric range but weigh the 4xe down further, the plug-in hybrid model offers almost split personalities.
Jeep contends that most Americans commute fewer than 30-ish miles per day, and the 4xe allows just enough electric range to cover the round trip to the office and back (even better if you can plug in at work). With every single job I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a dozen by this point), that figure holds up.
But, obviously, whether this pure electric range fits into the infrastructure of your daily life is a highly personal matter. Do note it takes about 3.4 hours to recharge the 4xe from a flat battery. You can use Level 2 chargers at 120v, or 240V, and schedule your 4xe’s charging from a mobile app. Officially, the 4xe offers about 25 miles of pure electric range (at 56 mpge). We saw perhaps a touch more than that on a simulated commute from downtown Austin, which included a jaunt through the city’s suburbs and then a brief highway run. I live in a condo with no way to charge the thing (other than running an extension cord for 100′, which should please the neighbors), so it’s not a great fit for me, though any city or small-town commuter with a garage and/or charger should be tempted.
Now back to price, which will perhaps be the second determining factor for buyers. As stated, the hybrid Grand Cherokee is not the budget option. In fact, its MSRP rivals the V-8 Grand Cherokee. Here’s the spread.
Without destination fees, a base 4xe will set you back $57,700; $62,485 for the Trailhawk; $65,800 for the Overland; $69,820 for the range-topping Summit. Stellantis provided some sample lease figures, which can bake in the $7500 federal tax credit on electric vehicles, and noted that you can often make the lease payment lower than the ICE models. Jeep representatives call this a value proposition, but that’s relative. Equipped in the way I’d choose a 4xe (Overland trim, and the packages which get you the top-down camera and Nappa leather seats), this is a $73,000 truck. That’s right in line with the range-topping V-8 Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve. A V-6 Overland, equipped similarly, will run more than $10,000 less (according to the Jeep configurator). See which incentives you can lock down, and make your decision from there.
I’d have the 4xe if I had some form of charging infrastructure. Truly. It offers better straight-line performance than the V-8 and better overall efficiency than the V-6. It’s more versatile and expansive in its capabilities than either, and also the most luxurious Grand Cherokee experience, by virtue of its near-silent operation (there’s extra sound deadening in the barrier layer under the carpet and also across the dash, and seamless integration in the hybrid system, which drowns out the inline-four’s groans entirely).
Most of my trips around Seattle indeed fall under the 30-ish-miles of electric range, save a bi-monthly road trip over about 400 miles, which I trust the 4xe to dispatch in absolute comfort. I don’t tow often, though Jeep notes the 4xe has a towing capacity of 6000 lbs., and even brought along a Willy’s on a trailer to prove its claims. But that ultimate towing ability offered by the V-8 isn’t necessary for me.
What’s more astonishing: rather than a cheap imitation, Jeep has delivered a genuine hybrid alternative to the V-8 Grand Cherokee. If you can make the numbers work within your budget, and make use of its all-electric range, you’ll find no finer or more versatile SUV in the segment. You should see the Grand Cherokee 4xe “available for delivery” some time this Spring, according to Stellantis.
Keyword: Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe: The Hybrid V-8 Killer