2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4XE review

A new family-hauler set to arrive Down Under early next year brings a combination of luxurious features and rugged off-road abilities.

A massive solar panel greets us as we arrive at the sprawling Texas ranch that is playing host to the media drive for the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4XE.

It looks incongruous against a desert landscape of dust, cactus and huge rock formations, but it’s there to charge Jeep’s fleet of plug-in hybrid Grand Cherokee Trailhawks so they can complete a gruelling off-road course emission-free, in silence.

The Grand Cherokee 4XE is a plug-in hybrid.

Well, relative silence. There may be no engine noise, but there’s the constant sound of rubber slipping then gripping on rock, accompanied by the occasional thud as metal meets earth.

Climbing forbidding rock faces is nothing new for the Trailhawk. It’s quite possibly the most capable mainstream off-roader on the market. What is new is the pair of electric motors and the battery pack underneath the plush cabin.

They’re part of a push by Jeep to have a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version available on every model in its range.

It can drive up to 40km on pure electric power.

Already, the Wrangler PHEV is the number one selling PHEV in the US. But the big seven-seat Grand Cherokee makes the most sense because the standard version uses so much fuel. America may still have some of the cheapest fuel in the world, but prices have soared and car buyers are noticing.

Jeep’s head of global product marketing, Jeff Ellsworth, says we’re witnessing “a pivotal transformation for the brand”.

“Our vision for the brand is zero-emission freedom. And 4xe is the kickstart to that,” he says.

Jeep claims the 4xe will travel for up to 40km on electric power alone before the petrol engine kicks in. From there it will act like a hybrid, providing assistance to the engine and recovering battery charge as the vehicle slows.

It also has rugged off-road ability.

The driver can choose between three modes via buttons on the dash. Electric mode will rely on the electric motors, which put out a combined 100kW and 268Nm, unless the driver floors the throttle, at which point the petrol engine will kick in. In hybrid mode there will be a small amount of electric assistance to the petrol engine. eSave mode allows you to save the battery charge for later use. Jeep says this allows people to store their EV power for zero-emissions off-roading. A “full re-gen” braking mode uses the electric motor to slow the car down, feeding charge back into the battery.

The new Grand Cherokee is much more luxe than the previous version.

Claimed fuel consumption is 4.2L/100km, although on a combination of city driving on electric power and freeway cruising in hybrid mode we saw about 9L/100km

When the electric motor and petrol engine are working in unison, Jeep claims the PHEV Grand Cherokee delivers better performance than the V8 version. Combined peak outputs are impressive at 280kW and 637Nm, and the car does feel lively off the mark when the battery is fully charged. When the battery is depleted, though, the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine feels a little underdone.

Jeep claims the plug-in hybrid can have better performance than the V8 version.

We managed close to the claimed 25 miles (40km) of EV range with the airconditioning running on high, which suggests careful customers will be able to match or exceed the range. The 17.3kWh battery takes 12 to 14 hours to charge from empty via a standard household plug, while a wall charger cuts that time to about three hours. Owners can schedule the car to charge during off-peak electricity periods and can monitor the EV vitals via an app on their phone.

The 4xe weighs roughly 300kg more than the V6 petrol version of the Grand Cherokee and you can feel that weight through corners. The 4xe also feels more softly sprung than the petrol version, which means it will take a moment to settle over larger bumps.

Having said that, it’s more comfortable and composed than its rival hardcore off-roaders, with the possible exception of the Land Rover Defender.

As with the standard version, the 4xe Grand Cherokee’s cabin feels suitably opulent for the price. More expensive versions have classy real wood highlights, quality leather trim and large, clear digital readouts on the dash and in front of the driver. All the expected driver aids are included.

Jeep will release pricing closer to the arrival of the car in Australia early next year, but US pricing suggests a $10,000 premium over the standard model, which starts at $82,250 plus on-roads.

JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4XE VITALS

Price: From about $100,000 drive-away (estimate)

Warranty/servicing: 5 years/100,000 km, $1995 over 5 years (est)

Safety: Auto emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, driver monitor

Engine: 2.0-litre petrol-electric plug-in hybrid, 280kW and 637Nm

Thirst: 4.2L/100km (estimate)

Boot: 487 litres