Gasoline has been Jeep’s blood since the American Bantam days back in Butler, Pennsylvania, a historical fixed point that’s just shifted a bit. That’s because the fifth-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, a hugely important profit center for the North America operations of Stellantis, is being offered with the first plug-in hybrid powertrain in the model’s history. The 2022 Grand Cherokee 4xe, as it’s being called, combines two electric motors and a 400-watt plug-in battery pack with the turbocharged 2.0-liter four that’s part of the Global Medium Engine family from Stellantis.
This is a significantly big vehicle, yet the hybrid powertrain is reported to deliver the equivalent of 52 MPG while allowing for up to 25 continuous miles of all-electric operation. The powertrain produces a combined 375 horsepower. The Grand Cherokee 4xe encompasses the Quadra Trac II all-wheel drive system, with a two-speed transfer case. With an eye toward fuel efficiency and emissions, electronic power steering and an electrically powered climate control compressor help reduce parasitic loads on the engine. Three driveline modes, including full electric and full ICE, will be offered.
Jim Donnelly On Wheels 