Jeep: With New Year Comes a New Badge

The mighty Jeep brand is hitting the Consumer Electronics Show next week, and it’s got a new badge in tow. No, Jeep isn’t messing with its namesake script; rather, there’s a new signifier on the way.

As it prepares to tout a trio of upcoming plug-in hybrids at the Las Vegas trade show, Jeep’s electrification effort will see the “4xe” badge filter through the lineup in the coming years.

Sounding like a Toyota sub-trim, 4xe denotes an electrified Jeep model. Among the vehicles in line to receive the badge are the Wrangler, Renegade, and Compass PHEVs scheduled for a New York debut in April. They’ll also show up at the Geneva Motor Show.

By 2022, all Jeep models will boast some form of electrification, be it a mild hybrid setup or a plug-in arrangement that actually offers all-electric driving. The Wrangler currently offers a 2.0-liter eTorque four-cylinder mild hybrid powertrain, with a V6 eTorque system borrowed from the Ram 1500 arriving for the 2020 model year. That system pairs with the four-door Unlimited bodystyle.

According to the brand, “All Jeep electrified vehicles will carry a new ‘Jeep 4xe badge,'” which seems to say that mild-hybrid variants will also sport the special badge. (We’ve reached out to Jeep to confirm this and will update when we hear back.) If that’s the case, your new PHEV’s badge won’t be as boastworthy as it could be.

Elsewhere at CES, Fiat Chrysler has two concepts on offer. One, the Airflow Vision, is a sculptural concept that aims to examine how future occupants will interact with in-car technology. Customizable settings accessed via numerous screens are the big draw here, as FCA s eager to play up its UX investments.

Then there’s the Fiat Concept Centoventi (“120” in Italian), an electric hatch that’s as customizable as the owner wants it to be. Even battery range can be dialed in, from 60 to 300 miles.

[Images: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]