Jeep Wrangler 4xe: Inevitable | STERN.de

The tough guys have to be really strong now. When even an icon of an off-road vehicle receives a plug-in hybrid drive train, the downfall of the West is imminent for many off-road fans. The inevitable has now occurred: The Jeep Wrangler rolls over hill and dale not just with one but with two electric motors plus a two-liter four-cylinder. “This is the better Wrangler. It can do everything that the version equipped with an internal combustion engine can and also has an electric drive,” says chief engineer Maria Grazia Lisbona with a smile.

Before we put this statement through its paces in the Rubicon variant, let’s take a closer look at the drive technology of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe. Half of the Wrangler’s electrification is similar to the PHEV concept of the smaller brothers Compass 4xe and Renegade 4xe. In other words, a four-cylinder engine coupled with a 46 kW / 63 PS three-phase asynchronous electric motor including a belt-driven starter generator that ensures that the battery does not run out of juice. However, the combustion engine of the heavy Wrangler with an output of 200 kW / 272 hp has a significantly wider chest than that of its relatives. There is also a 107 kW / 145 PS electric motor, which is integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission and guarantees electric all-wheel drive. Together this results in a system output of 280 kW / 380 PS and a maximum torque of 637 Newton meters.

So that the orthodox off-road vehicle fans can sleep peacefully, we dared to venture out on an off-road course with the Rubicon version. And only with the power of the two electric motors. The first look into the interior lets us breathe a sigh of relief: Everything you would expect from the Rubicon is also available in the PHEV. Reductions, locks front and rear and a decoupling of the stabilizer, which ensures a grandiose entanglement of the two axes. After all, the part-time rider should also master the extremely demanding Rubicon Trail that gives it its name. One thing is different, however: Due to the torque that is immediately available, you have to be more sensitive to the accelerator pedal in electric mode than is the case with the version with a combustion engine.

Now it’s time to hit the streets with the fully charged Wrangler in the Sahara version. The display in the cockpit promises a purely electric range of 40 kilometers, Jeep indicates that the energy of the 17.3 kilowatt hour battery is enough for 44 kilometers. The drive programs are adapted to the drive module: With Electric, the combustion engine has nothing to report, with Hybrid the system selects the most efficient drive variant and with E-Save the charge status is maintained and the batteries, if possible, even charged a little. The Wrangler should need an average of 3.5 l / 100 km. During our test drive, we came to an average consumption of 10.5 l / 100 km. The electrical support is good for the Wrangler. As long as the batteries have juice, the 2,276 kilogram climber acts smoothly and accelerates from standstill to 100 km / h in 6.4 seconds and is up to 177 km / h. The four-cylinder only hums audibly when you call up the power quickly. This phenomenon is intensified when the internal combustion engine is at work alone. Then the effort is noticeably and audibly greater.

If you take weight off your left foot, you can glide along with the gentleman of the area in a relaxed manner, even on the motorway. Especially since the Wrangler is not a proven curve artist anyway and instead plays the comfort card, which is also noticeable in a slight teetering on long waves. So that the Jeep can also survive on long journeys, the technicians have equipped it with a whole range of assistance systems: including the blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control and ESP stability control, which uses the brakes to prevent a wheel from losing contact with the ground.

The infotainment at Jeep is called Uconnect and has an 8.4 inch touchscreen as a command center. Anyone looking for a navigation system with razor-sharp premium graphics is in the wrong car. A jeep has other qualities. Nevertheless, the virtual pilot reliably brought us to our destination. The operation of the infotainment is not a big puzzle for the driver and the smartphone is integrated via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. So the Jeep Wrangler has remained true to itself and its rustic nature even with electrification. On the contrary, the E-vitamin boost is good for off-roaders, but at least 69,500 euros for the Sahara and 71,000 euros for the Rubicon version is not exactly cheap. It is not yet known when the Germans will be allowed to climb electrically.