Taking a drive out to nature should be a Zen-like experience. Now you can spec your Wrangler with a plug providing up to 25 miles of quiet 4X4 EV adventures. It’s kind of cool that the Wrangler would be the first Jeep offered in the states that can operate on electricity alone. The new 2021 4xe is exclusively available in the 4-door Unlimited bodystyle and comes in 3 trims with this Sahara being the entry-level model with a starting MSRP of $51,300 including destination but excluding the $7,500 federal income tax credit.
So here’s what I’ve gathered about the 4xe this week. When you’re on electric it’s really special but like all plug-ins, it’s appeal decreases once the 25 miles or so of electric is gone. After that it’s just another hybrid. Secondly, I don’t know if it’s just my test car but the air conditioning has trouble keeping up when in EV mode, kind of like some mild hybrids when you’re waiting at a stoplight And as always, remember that in the cold winter months your EV range may drop by over 40%. But all told I really like the 4xe. It drives well, it brakes and transitions power sources without any hybrid shortcomings. It’s a worthy precursor to an anticipated fully-electric Wrangler that could arrive in 2022.

Jeep continues to expand the Wrangler’s portfolio by adding a plug-in hybrid for the 2021 model year.  The 4-door Wrangler 4xe adds yet another powertrain choice to the various gas and diesel offerings. 

And this one is a torque monster – something off-roaders crave – producing 470 pound-feet from its electrified powertrain.  Recharge the 400-volt battery pack situated below the rear seats and the 4Xe provides up to 25 miles of pure electric driving.  Want to preserve that quiet, zero-emission propulsion for the trail?  Select the E-Save drive mode and bottle it up for later use.  Otherwise, once all of the juice has been squeezed, the 4xe runs as a typical gas-electric hybrid, leaning on its 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo to produce a combined 375 horsepower working through an 8-speed auto with an integrated electric motor.  Jeep estimates that the 4xe’s gas mileage will be the same as that of a Toyota Prius.  The full-time 4-wheel drive transfer case provides all of the options you want; including 2WD and automatic 4-wheel drive settings to compliment the usual 4H and 4L modes.  And if you think this is a fragile Jeep you can’t take deep into enemy territory, think again.  All high-voltage bits are sealed and waterproof so it can ford the same 30” of water and underneath you’ll see the same Dana 44 axles and skid plates while the Rubicon has an electronic sway-bar disconnect and nearly 11” of ground clearance.  Base 4xe and Sahara models are also offered and we’ll know more about pricing as the 4xe’s December on-sale date grows closer.   

2020 JEEP WRANGLER QUICK TAKES. The iconic Jeep Wrangler – the most capable and recognized vehicle in the world – delivers unmatched off-road capability and is produced with more than seven decades of 4×4 engineering experience. Powertrain options include a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 with engine stop-start (ESS), 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 with mild-hybrid e-Torque technology, 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with ESS and a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with mild-hybrid e-Torque technology. Wrangler continues to offer a body-on-frame design, front and rear five-link suspension system, solid axles, electronic lockers and is one of the few SUVs to offer a six-speed manual transmission in addition to its available eight-speed automatic.
For 2020, the Wrangler lineup consists of four models: Sport, Sport S, Sahara (four-door only), Rubicon
 Available Exterior Colors: Bright White, Hella Yella, Granite Crystal, Billet Silver, Black, Firecracker Red, Punk’n Metallic, Mojito!, Sting, Gray, Ocean Blue Metallic, and Bikini.

…Which, unless your drive into work takes you across the equivalent of the Rubicon Trail, is insane.  As my buddy Alton Brown would say, the Wrangler is a uni-tasker.  It was built with one purpose in mind and that isn’t…