Hybrids, batteries promise us the quickest, ‘most capable Jeep ever’

Jeep quietly introduced a trio of plug-in hybrid SUVs at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Full technical details about the 4xe-badged off-roaders haven’t been announced yet, but the company is already planning to speed up its electrification offensive by releasing more hybrids and even a handful of electric models.

One of the battery-powered models on the drawing board is a so-called “adventure” off-roader that would fully leverage the benefits of an electric powertrain to take its occupants far off the beaten path. Autocar learned that, if approved for production, it would rely on individually-controlled wheels to trudge through difficult terrain. Motorists would gain the ability to draw electricity from its battery pack to power accessories like laptops and speakers. Back on the pavement, it would stand out as one of the quickest models Jeep has ever produced.

“Think about a Wrangler Rubicon, full electric or PHEV. This is a car that’s going to do zero to 60 mph in six seconds, potentially, so you’re going to get acceleration you’re never going to get with an engine. You’re going to get the most capable Jeep ever,” explained company boss Christian Meunier in an interview with the British magazine. The Hellcat-powered, 707-horsepower Grand Cherokee Trackhawk boasts a 3.5-second zero-to-60-mph time, but it’s not very well suited to off-roading; it’s not the kind of SUV we’d take to the Rubicon Trail.

It’s no secret that companies from all over the automotive spectrum need to invest in electrification to stay on the right side of regulations; those that don’t face billion-dollar fines from regulators in Europe and in China. Meunier opined plug-in hybrid technology is promising because it will help Jeep reduce its fleet-wide emissions while allowing motorists to cruise into zero-emissions zones in cities like London. On a broader level, he added the on-going shift towards electrification needs to be embraced and seen as an opportunity, not a constraint.

“Either you try to be compliant and do the bare minimum, or you embrace it and go full-speed on it. The latter is the way we should go, because we have the opportunity to make some really, really exciting products,” he said.

Jeep pledged to release more information about the 4xe-badged variants (pictured) of the Wrangler, the Compass, and the Renegade in early 2020 but we haven’t heard anything about them since CES. That’s hardly surprising, the automotive industry is in disarray, but we’re looking forward to learning more in the coming months.