The 4xe makes a combined 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. Jeep says it'll hit 60 mph in 6 seconds. The output is achieved by combining the turbocharged four-cylinder from the regular Wrangler with a transmission-mounted electric motor. The engine on its own makes 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It also gets the eTorque starter-generator like a number of other FCA products. The transmission-mounted motor makes 134 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque on its own.

How these individual propulsion systems mesh is interesting, too. The electric motor ahead of the transmission actually replaces the torque converter. It's sandwiched by two clutches: one that connects the motor to the eight-speed transmission behind it, and one that connects it to the engine in front of it. The clutch to the transmission is there to smooth out any differences in wheel and powertrain speed, a bit like that of a clutch in a manual transmission. The one between the motor and the engine is there so that engine power gets through to the wheels when it has to kick on.

Thanks to a 17-kWh, liquid-cooled battery pack, the 4xe can go 25 miles on electric power only. In combined driving, it can achieve 50 mpg-e. How the powertrains are combined or separated can be selected by the driver with a full EV mode, hybrid mode, and a charging and saving mode available. Regenerative braking is also adjustable from light to heavy.

The icing on the electric cake is that the Wrangler 4xe hardly gives up anything for the added capability. The battery pack, inverter and other associated equipment is mounted under a flip-forward rear seat. This is to ensure it's safely above the frame rails away from rock dents or punctures. The electronics are all waterproofed, so the 4xe maintains the ability to ford 30 inches of water. All 4xe models get Dana 44 axles front and rear. The 4xe and Sahara 4xe trims get a two-speed transfer case with automatic four-wheel-drive mode and a 2.72:1 low-range. A limited-slip differential is available, and the axle ratios are 3.73:1. These models do lose 0.1 inch of ground clearance compared to the gas models. The Rubicon 4xe gets a transfer case with a 4:1 low-range, electronic locking front and rear axles with a 4.1:1 ratio and electronic sway bar disconnect. Ground clearance is unchanged.

The only areas the 4xe really gives anything up to the regular versions is in cargo space and weight. Space behind the rear seats drops by 4 cubic feet to 27.7 and 5 cubic feet behind the front seats to 67.4. Payload and towing capacity are roughly unchanged, though, at 1,280 and 3,500 pounds respectively. The base 4xe also weighs in at 5,000 pounds, about 800 pounds more than the non-hybrid four-cylinder. Each higher trim adds roughly another 100 pounds each.

The Wrangler 4xe goes on sale early in 2021. It will be available in the three previously mentioned trims of 4xe, Sahara 4xe and Rubicon 4xe. Pricing hasn't been announced, but expect a significant upcharge over the gas-powered versions.

FCA announced that the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe officially went into production Friday, with the first examples rolling off the line and headed to showrooms ahead of its on-sale date early next year. In other words, you're just weeks away from being able to purchase Jeep's first plug-in hybrid vehicle, which may prove to be a bit of a genuine game-changer.

The Wrangler 4xe's specs make a good first impression. It boasts a combined 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. The gasoline engine makes 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque; the transmission-mounted motor contributes another 134 horsepower and 181 pound-feet.
ADVERTISEMENTWhile the electric motor ahead of the transmission replaces the torque converter, that's about the extent of the hybrid-ness of the 4xe's powertrain. The motor is sandwiched by two clutches: one that connects the motor to the eight-speed transmission behind it, and one that connects it to the engine in front of it. No planetary gearboxes or CVTs here. Just good, old-fashioned gears.

Thanks to a 17-kWh, liquid-cooled battery pack, the 4xe can go 25 miles on electric power only. In combined driving, it can achieve 50 mpg-e. How the powertrains are combined or separated can be selected by the driver with a full EV mode, hybrid mode, and a charging and saving mode available. Regenerative braking is also adjustable from light to heavy — which will be handy on trails.

The icing on the electric cake is that the Wrangler 4xe hardly gives up anything for the added capability. The battery pack, inverter and other associated equipment is mounted under a flip-forward rear seat. This is to ensure it's safely above the frame rails away from rock dents or punctures. The electronics are all waterproofed, so the 4xe maintains the ability to ford 30 inches of water. All 4xe models get Dana 44 axles front and rear.

The 4xe and Sahara 4xe trims get a two-speed transfer case with automatic four-wheel-drive mode and a 2.72:1 low-range. A limited-slip differential is available, and the axle ratios are 3.73:1. These models do lose 0.1 inch of ground clearance compared to the gas models. The Rubicon 4xe gets a transfer case with a 4:1 low-range, electronic locking front and rear axles with a 4.1:1 ratio and electronic sway bar disconnect, plus the exact same ground clearance of the non-PHEV Rubicon.

We expect the Wrangler will be just the first of many PHEV models to come from Jeep and the broader FCA portfolio, which is packed with trucks and SUVs that could make use of Jeep's new system.

Jeep has posted pricing for its first plug-in-hybrid model, the Wrangler 4xe. At launch, the PHEV Wrangler is being offered first in Sahara and Rubicon trim and is four-door only. Pricing for those two versions has now been announced: For the Wrangler 4xe Sahara, it's $47,995 plus $1,495 destination, for a total of $49,490. For the Wrangler 4xe Rubicon, you're looking at $53,190 with destination. Both prices are before the expected $7,500 tax credit.

The non-hybrid Sahara is $40,160 (again with destination), so at first glance, the plug-in-hybrid powertrain would appear to command a $9,000 premium. But the 4xe includes enough optional equipment that it in fact ends up being about the same as the non-hybrid version. The 4xe Sahara gets as standard: leather, 20-inch wheels, Uconnect 8.4 with navigation, an Alpine premium audio system, the LED lighting package, and Selec-Trac 4WD with Dana 44 HD axles.

The non-hybrid Rubicon starts at $43,710, and although the Rubicon 4xe Launch Edition again includes several options, here, you're still paying a premium for the hybrid powertrain, which we calculate to be around $2,600. The Rubicon 4xe's included features are: 4:1 Rock-Trac heavy-duty full-time 4WD system, Uconnect 8.4 with navigation, an Alpine premium audio system, and the LED lighting package.

The plug-in-hybrid Wrangler combines a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with a transmission-mounted electric motor and an eTorque starter-generator. The combined output is 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. With a 17-kWh, liquid-cooled battery pack, the 4xe can go 25 miles on electric power alone. In combined driving, it can achieve 50 mpg-e.

Wrangler 4xe production is already underway, with the first deliveries expected in the first quarter of 2021.

Official EPA fuel economy and range numbers are out for the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe. Jeep estimated that it could go 25 miles under electric power late last year, but the EPA-estimated range came in lower at just 21 miles of range on a full charge.

That’s disappointing to see that Jeep missed the mark by 4 miles, but 21 miles could still be plenty for the needs of many owners. The average American drives less than 21 miles to work each day, so it could very well be sufficient to do part (or all) of your regular driving under electric power.

In addition to range, we also know that the combined fuel economy rating is 20 mpg — this is what you’ll be getting once the battery is totally depleted. The Wrangler 4xe suffers as most PHEVs do in this area, as the added weight from the battery pack and electric motor drag down fuel economy. A standard Wrangler four-door with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is rated at 22 mpg combined, for comparison. Even the V6 four-door gets 1 mpg better in combined fuel economy than the 4xe. The story here is that you’ll need to take full advantage of the electric range to make the Wrangler 4xe work in your favor.

For some additional comparisons, the super-efficient Wrangler EcoDiesel will return the model's best EPA combined figure at 25 mpg. The least efficient Wrangler is the new 392, which is rated at a paltry 14 mpg.

Even with the less-than-stellar fuel economy post battery-drain, the EPA posits that 4xe owners will pay less in fuel per year ($1,750) than any other Wrangler drivers. The gas engine-only equivalent will cost $200 more on average, and the EcoDiesel will be $150 more. In case the 6 mpg combined difference between the 4xe and 392 was looking temptingly narrow, note that the annual fuel cost for the 392 is estimated at $3,750, a full $2,000 more per year than the 4xe. At the lower end of fuel economy figures, small differences in mpg make for big variances in fuel cost.