Plug-in Jeep Wrangler Gets an Arrival Date
Overshadowed lately by a brace of upcoming full-size SUV stablemates, to say nothing of its reborn Ford Bronco rival, the plug-in Jeep Wrangler remains the next big introduction for the off-road brand.
Teased on and off throughout the year, the Wrangler plug-in hybrid, known officially as the Wrangler 4xe (a moniker greeting all hybridized Jeeps), has appeared with an arrival date in tow. Best to get this introduction out of the way before a busy 2021.
A tweet from Jeep Tuesday shows the Wrangler 4xe perched on the edge of a cliff, viewed from above. Its hood appears to be that of a Rubicon Recon, though the power bulge is outlined in blue: a go-to color signifying the presence of auto-motivating electricity. “Coming December 2020,” the brand claims.
This jibes with previous announcements from Jeep and Fiat Chrysler that claimed the ’21 Wrangler PHEV would be on the market by the end of the year. Jeep’s date reveal comes a few days after the release of yet another video depicting the model’s silent running mode, this one cheekily closed-captioned for the hard of hearing. There’s no engine roar, just the sound of gravel spit out from underfoot.
Expected to appear on loftier trims, the exact nature of the hybrid powertrain is not known, though Mopar Insiders claims that a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder will mate with an electric motor contained within the vehicle’s ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. The manufacturer of that tranny claims the unit is capable of providing up to 31 miles of all-electric driving.
Depending on battery size and load, the Wrangler could propel itself up to 74 mph on electrons alone, ZF suggests.
Having a hybrid version of the Wrangler on the market, and a plug-in one at that, would be a feather in Jeep’s cap for however long Ford takes to bring a hybrid Bronco to market. We know there’s one on the way, but, given the fact that reservation holders aren’t expected to start receiving the first Broncos until early next year, Jeep will have won the race. In the process, earning itself some much-needed green cred.
A full reveal of the Wrangler 4xe shouldn’t be far off.
[Images: Jeep/Twitter]
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Ideal stalker vehicle - I need one of these. Ooops out loud voice?
It just doesn't seem right to me. But, then again, I think any off roadish vehicle should have a mt. Using a clutch in tough situations is a dying art form. Reminds me. Back in the early seventies we (my family) lived in Quito, Ecuador for two years. (If you ever get the chance, go there; it is one of the most beautiful places on the planet.) One day we were out driving on a two(ish) lane cobblestone road at at least 10,000 feet. We stopped and picked up some of the local (I see we have a politically correct spell checker here; ok, then) aboriginal denizens who were waiting by the side of the road. When my father went to start up again he had a problem. We were pointed up a very steep section of the road, at that altitude the Land Rover 110 had about 50 HP, and try as he might it was impossible to get off the brake onto the throttle and get enough revs to get the thing moving. So, I reached over with my hand and held the throttle down so it could build some revs, and away we went.