My Thoughts Exactly: 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
Does it have to win wars? Rule the Rubicon Trail? Blaze a trail for equality? Or, become the preferred ride for mall crawling?
How does a legend earn its status?
Does it have to win wars? Rule the Rubicon Trail? Blaze a trail for equality? Or, become the preferred ride for mall crawling?
Let’s face it: No one does a Jeep Wave at a Compass Latitude.
The Jeep Wrangler is the real deal when it comes to off-roading legends. It is an icon that stood the test of time over the past 80-plus years. You have to respect the old soldier, even in its newest clothes.
Consumers know the Wrangler all too well. You see a lot of them on the road. In fact, it is the third best-selling vehicle in Stellantis’ North American lineup, delivering over 204,000 units in 2021. It is also a global trademark for the brand – the seven-slot grille, the front fenders, the boxy profile, the spare tire off of the tailgate, and so on.
It is also a brash statement. There are those of us who think they’re cool enough to commute in one. Respect.
Last year, Stellantis added a new dimension to this iconic off roader. It now comes with a J1772 receptacle. You can plug one in from a Level 2 charger. By doing so, you get around 21 miles of driving without drinking one gallon of gasoline.
They call it the Jeep Wrangler 4xe.
A few months prior to getting this beautiful blue Rubicon, I got to play with a red Sahara version on the off-road course at Road America for the Midwest Automotive Media Association Rally. It truly was a revelation that you can get over muddy tracks, steep ascents and descents, and have some fun without having the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine kicking in.
Then, came this tester. It was everything a Jeep fan-person would want in a sustainable off-roader. After all, it is a Rubicon model – the most desirable factory-built Wrangler of them all.
To combine the most capable trim level of the Wrangler with the electrification of the 4xe driveline sounds like a rolling oxymoron. However, Stellantis strongly believes this is the future.
But, is it the future of off roading?
Let me break down the 4xe driveline, first. It starts with the aforementioned 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine. This engine exists in “normal” Wrangler and sports 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. An eTorque belt-start generator, along with a traction motor mounted off of the transmission, are added to this driveline. They are fed by a Lithium-ion 17.3 kilowatt-hour battery pack located underneath the rear seats.
Combined, the 4xe power sources offer up 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque.
To round out the 4xe driveline is an eight-speed automatic transmission with the Rock-Trac two-speed transfer case driving all four wheels. Plus, you have three drive modes to choose from: Electric, Hybrid, and e-Save.
In short, the 4xe drives like the Wrangler of the immediate future. The system worked seamlessly, even with each power source separately. With energy in the battery, the electric drive system runs first. When you are out of battery, the gasoline engine comes on. You can regenerate energy to the battery from the brakes, but it always best to charge up the battery to preserve it.
Performance was fine. Without referring to my off-road drive last October, I spent a lot of time on the road where most owners would end up driving the Wrangler 4xe. It runs fine on either energy source. This is clearly not a Wrangler 392 – nor should it be.
Fuel consumption was somewhat concerning. I did average 21.1 MPG while under battery power. That dropped to 16.1 MPG when the gasoline engine took over. Keep in mind that Stellantis stated that the Environmental Protection Agency rated the Wrangler 4xe at 20 MPG on a combined loop.
Since I have kept the Wrangler 4xe on the road, it exhibited a mostly nice ride. There were some lateral movement on rougher spots, but it did its best by not making things uncomfortable. Handling was on the softer side, and care was taken in the curves and lane changes.
It is worth noting that this tester came with the Rubicon’s Electronic Front Sway Bar Disconnect. This enables the Wrangler to articulate deeper on uneven surfaces – including rocks. While it works awesomely off road, there was no need to use it in our tester. Sorry, Jeep fans.
Braking was very good, with good stopping power in normal, panic, and winter situations. Pedal feel was great, as was the response down to the calipers.
However, the steering system was of two minds. The turning radius was pretty good, and the Wrangler 4xe exhibited no axle buck in 4WD Auto mode. However, there was plenty of play in the steering wheel itself. I noticed that on-center feel was light within the lane. This appears to be a common trait among Wranglers, Gladiators, and even older CJs.
While some things seem to seldom change, the JL Wrangler generation evolved into a more civilized vehicle. In particular, the cabin. Overall, I like the layout of the dashboard. I do have some issues with some placement and logic of some switches – the power windows, for example. There are controls that are easy to the touch, such as the shifter, the transfer case lever, the audio and climate controls. I also wished that the instrument cluster has larger font and was less fussy to decipher at times.
This Rubicon tester had the Uconnect 8.4 infotainment system, which is still a solid unit overall. I admit being spoiled by the advances of the Uconnect 5 system and its quicker and reliable connectivity, but you probably won’t see that in the Wrangler and Gladiator for some time. Sound came from a standard set of speakers. They’re OK, to be honest. Again, I have been spoiled by the premium offerings in other Stellantis vehicles of late.
The front seats were swathed with leather and had manual adjustments. They were very comfortable, but a bit more bolstering would make this Rubicon perfect for the enthusiasts – even the rock-hopping crowd. Even with a 10.8-inch ground clearance, taller folks would manage getting into the Wrangler 4xe Rubicon without needing any steps.
Rear seat room was fine, though the lower part of the rear doors were a bit of a challenge getting in and out. Just remember that rear seat passengers are sitting on the battery pack of the 4xe system.
Once you open up the swing-to-the-right lower tailgate and the upper window, you have 27.7 cubic feet of cargo space to play with. Fold down the rear seats, and that space is expandable to 67.4 cubic feet. I’m also glad that the spare wheel is attached the lower tailgate for better access to rear of the Wrangler 4xe.
As for its exterior looks, one cannot mistake the JL Wrangler for anything else on this planet. It has been imitated and copied by a few manufacturers, yet, as the marketing folks would say “there is only one Jeep.” This generation has been around for a few years and the Rubicon model adds to the iconography of this vehicle. It is a bold statement whether you are crawling on a dusty trail or making a run to the store.
If you did not see that the decals that read “Rubicon,” the 17-inch alloy wheels and knobby all-terrain tires are dead giveaways to this icon of icons.
The additional touches the 4xe driveline adds outside helps make this blue Wrangler Rubicon pop. The blue trim around the decals, badges, and on the tow hooks are clues as to what lies underneath the body. Not to mention the black charging port door that is neatly set ahead of the driver’s door.
In all, this 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4xe was stickered at $69,545. That is from a base price of $55,225 for this tester. Wrangler 4xe models start from $52,530 and only come in the four-door Unlimited body with a choice of three trim levels.
If the 4xe is not your cup of medium roast coffee with soy milk, you have a wide choice of Wrangler models, including two-doors, starting from under $30,000.
Let me get this out of the way: I respect the Jeep Wrangler. It is made for recreational activities and active lifestyles. It is the ultimate icon that is packed with history and a very loyal following. That is why people do the Jeep Wave when they see one on the road.
The problem I have are with people who get one and do not utilize it as intended. I get that there are those who see the Wrangler as a replacement for everyday transportation, but I would rather see them better utilized in locations where it is necessary to do so.
Don’t get me wrong, the Wrangler is a great winter vehicle no matter where you live – with its great four-wheel drive system, ground clearance, and overall performance.
The 4xe driveline is the next chapter in Jeep’s eight decade-long history. If we have to acquiesce to vehicle electrification in the near future, why not look at the Wrangler 4xe (and the upcoming new generation two-row Grand Cherokee 4xe) as a way to combine our want of adventure and wanderlust with a dose of sustainability.
DISCLAIMER: Vehicle provided by Stellantis North America
All photos by Randy Stern