2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Review: Plug-In Hybrid Delivers Heritage At A Price

For over 80 years, when one hears, sees or thinks about Jeep, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the iconic shape forged for — and on — the battlefield. From the Willys MB of World War II, to the post-war CJ lineage and the Wrangler of the modern era, the legendary SUV is what made Jeep in all of its incarnations and under various ownerships the brand it is today. Like Harley-Davidson, Corvette, and Mustang, it's more than a company or a single product, but instead a lifestyle.

Like all lifestyles, though, the Jeep life is experiencing a new bump in the rugged road, that of hybridization and electrification in order to divest itself from mangling the very environment its fans enjoy. Stellantis has been preparing for such a future since the start of the 2020s, which for Jeep meant a plug-in hybrid variant of the legend, the Wrangler 4xe (which I learned is pronounced as "Four by eee," not "4 ex eee"). 

Introduced for the 2021 model year, the hybrid Wrangler is meant to retain the spirit of the icon while bringing its technology forward into the present day. But is it truly the way to go? Stellantis sent down their facelifted-for-2024 plug-in hybrid Wrangler 4xe in the Willys trim to help me find out while ringing in the New Year in the New River Valley of Southwestern Virginia

Behind the handsome, new-for-2024 face with the signature seven-slot grille is the 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe's hybrid powertrain: a 270-horsepower, 295 lb.-ft. of torque 2.0-liter turbo-four paired with a duo of electric motors. One unit up front serves as the starter and generator with 44 horses and 39 lb.-ft of torque to get the party started and for charging the 14.0 kWh lithium-ion battery pack on the go. The other motor is located where the eight-speed automatic's torque convertor would be on the gas-only Wranglers, contributing an additional 134 horsepower and 181 lb.-ft. of torque to the off-roading extravaganza. 

Total combined output amounts to 375 horses and 470 lb.-ft. of torque, to either the rear pair or the entire set of 17-inch black-painted alloys wrapped in 33-inch BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2s (20-inch wheels are available on the Sport S, Sahara and High Altitude trims), with the aforementioned eight-speed PHEV-specialized automatic and a four-speed transfer case to move all of those hybrid horses around on the road and trail.

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Onboard, the Wrangler 4xe's power output can be managed via a set of buttons located next to the driver's side door just below the light switchgear. By default, the Jeep starts up in Hybrid mode, making the most of the 87-octane in the 17.2-gallon fuel tank and the lithium-ion battery under the rear seats. If you're going out to work in the early morning hours (like my mom) and don't wish to wake the neighbors, EV mode is available for those short trips around town. Finally, you can reserve that electric power for later through the E-Save mode, using the turbo-four to do double-duty as both a generator for charging the battery and moving the Wrangler 4xe around.

Like most plug-in hybrids, the 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe in all trim levels (of which there are six for the 2024 model year) can have its lithium-ion battery pack recharged at home with the included Level 1 charging cable. That, of course, is an overnight affair, taking 12 hours to get to 100%. If you're like me, though, where charging at home isn't going to happen for any reason, but you still want to have the ability to run silent around town, Level 2 charging is the best way to go without burning through the 87 octane in the Wrangler 4xe's tank. Luckily for me, there were a few Level 2 stations around my small Virginia home, including this one in front of a cupcake shop (which, sadly, was closed for the New Year on the day I visited; no cupcakes).

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At Level 2, charging the 14-kWh lithium-ion battery pack from zero to 100% takes around two hours to complete. Because I had used the E-Save mode and the Max Regen regenerative braking system to charge some of the pack, though, my time at the cupcake shop's charging station was reduced to around 90 minutes. On electric-only mode, the electric motors and pack deliver an EPA-estimate of 49 MPGe, which is very optimistic compared to its range of around 22 miles before the turbo-four steps in to keep you going throughout your day. 

Jeep itself has installed several Level 2 chargers around trailheads across the United States to bring the electric party to the great outdoors, furthering the brand's commitment to being as green as the environments its products explore. Don't expect to plug in at any of the swifter, higher-powered DC fast chargers increasingly available, however: not only does the Wrangler 4xe not support that, the plugs used by those Level 3 chargers won't physically fit into the SUV's charge port.  

When the Wrangler 4xe first arrived on the scene in 2020 for the 2021 model year, it did so with an 8.4-inch touchscreen in a separate housing from the gauge cluster. For the 2024 model year, there's a new 12.3-inch touchscreen it shares with the gas-powered Wrangler across all trim levels, that blends in with the same gauge cluster via a revised dashboard (which also includes a cool charging indicator light embedded on top of the dash). The Uconnect 5-equipped touchscreen has support for both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though you'll still need your USB cable to keep your phone charged along the journey.

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Speaking of charging, the Wrangler 4xe's updated touchscreen can display more information about the health of the hybrid system, including the distance travelled on gas versus electric and the regeneration history as seen above. You can also set up the HVAC controls on the screen for finer tuning beyond the physical controls located below the touchscreen. 

For keeping safe on the road, the $1,395 Safety Group adds to the Willys trim level automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, cross-path detection, rear parking assist, and LED tail lamps to go with the rear camera, adaptive cruise control, and the full set of first- and second-row side curtain air bags to protect all occupants.

Climbing up into the 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe in the Willys trim means seating yourself on black cloth with copper stitching. The front seats are manually adjustable, though through the optional $1,995 Convenience Group, those seats can be heated along with the steering wheel. The front seats are plenty comfortable, though rear passengers with long legs may not enjoy being in the back for too long. At least they can enjoy a pair of vents for keeping warm or cool throughout the year, however.

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The Willys Customer Preferred Package ($4,740) throws in a full set of all-weather floor mats from Mopar Accessories. In keeping with the Easter eggs found in various Jeep models like the Compass, the front and rear mats feature a topographical map, the rear mat also stamped with a pick and shovel marking the spot for some buried treasure. The front windshield has a tiny Jeep climbing up the lower right corner, and the center screen of the driver gauge cluster shows an old Jeep, just to remind you that yes, you're driving an icon. Interior cargo volume is 27.7 cubic feet for holding gear or groceries for the big trip into the woods. With the 60/40 rear bench folded up, maximum cargo volume is 67.4 cubic feet.

Living with the 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe for a week was a mixed bag. On the one hand, it's a Jeep. Or rather, the Jeep. Rolling through town in a tough-looking machine hits different than when I'm in my old Toyota RAV4. I can definitely understand the draw the Wrangler and its ancestors have over its fans: it just has a presence few vehicles can match simply by existing. 

The Willys trim level just adds more to the legend and its legendary off-road prowess, thanks to those all-terrain tires, high ride height, rock rails and under armor to protect the battery, and the ability to tow up to 3,500 pounds. Throw on a winch — like the one Warn built in collaboration with Jeep for the Rubicon trim — and the Wrangler 4xe is a slightly greener version of the do-it-all utility vehicle.

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But then, the reality sets in. For starters, there's no taking this Wrangler 4xe to the automatic car wash, not with the soft top, anyway. As some of my friends have warned, doing so may result in some leaks, though they add that it's not a Jeep issue but a general soft top convertible issue. The Willys trim may have rock rails to protect the body, but it didn't come with steps to help my mom — who is 5 foot 3 — or yours truly (5 foot 6) climb into and step out of the Jeep. Finally, the hybrid powertrain may make things ride better over the road, but it's not the best at saving fuel along the way, coming at a combined 20 mpg when the gas engine is in play; I managed around 17.5 mpg during the week it was with me.

And then, there's the price. Just like the Corvette and Harley-Davidson, when you buy a Jeep Wrangler, you're going to pay quite the price of admission into the Jeep lifestyle. The starting price for the 2024 Wrangler 4xe is $50,695 for the base Sport S trim; the cheapest gas-powered Wrangler — the Sport — begins at $36,495, for comparison. The 4xe Willys — the next trim up — starts at $56,030, $60,515 as-tested including $1,795 destination. 

That's a lot of money for a plug-in hybrid that isn't that good at being a hybrid as far as a hybrid's main mission — conserving fuel — goes. In fact, the regular Wrangler Unlimited with four-wheel drive and the turbo-four gets the same gas mileage as the 4xe: 20 mpg combined. You don't get a federal tax credit of up to $3,750 with the non-PHEV, mind. 

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For those wanting a truly green (or, perhaps, cobalt blue) Jeep lifestyle, the Wrangler-inspired Recon is coming soon. Depending on range, this fully-electric Jeep — the first of its kind — may likely push the 4xe out of the lineup. And if it can make use of those charging stations on the trail, then it would make little sense to pay a ton of cash for a Wrangler 4xe. Still, the Wrangler 4xe is a Jeep, and for more than a few, that's all they need.