A luxury vehicle should be able to match its cost with its performance. There is no reason it can’t be pretty to look at and reliable to drive while also competing for relevance in the car industry. Luxury or not, those are difficult shoes to fill for any vehicle in the market. A gas-guzzling rust bucket can cost plenty, but that does not mean you get your money’s worth. The new Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe might just fit the previously stated criteria with its balance of power, luxury, and efficiency. The Grand Cherokee family is happy to introduce its first (sort of) electrical model. The 4xe has all the class and style of its previous generations, with exciting new capabilities that will entice Jeep lovers to visit their local Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe dealer to experience it up close and personal.
The Plug
We can’t think of a better way to start than with what distinguishes the 4xe from not only its previous generations, but from other vehicles: the electrical plugin. The 4xe is not fully electric; however, you can drive it in electric mode without the engine, and it functions similarly to a hybrid car. A battery works in tandem with the engine for a more eco-friendly drive, and when one stops, the other goes.
The 4xe comes with multiple engine functions. It has a fully electrical mode that runs off the battery for 25 miles. The battery can be recharged by either an external charging station or the engine itself. One of the apps in the car is a scheduled charging time for the battery. So if you leave it on the charger overnight, it will only take up a certain amount of electricity. That way, when it is charged fully, it will not continue consuming unnecessary electricity.
The hybrid mode uses a combination of engine and battery. When the engine is barely in use, it turns off while the battery kicks on. Stop lights will mainly be when the car switches to electricity in hybrid mode. Lastly, there is an eSave mode which will preserve the battery of the car. It runs fully on its engine. In this mode, you can still charge the battery with the engine.
Fuel Efficiency
Luxury cars are not always known for their cost-efficiency. However, there is at least one area in which this vehicle will guarantee you savings. That is the car’s high fuel efficiency. It gets an excellent combined fuel economy rating of 56 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) in hybrid mode. That is more than double the average fuel efficiency of a standard car. With the 25 miles offered by electrical mode, some trips will not even cost you a dime of gas.
In eSave mode, the car gets 23MPG. While nowhere near the 56MPGe, this is still an impressive feat. For a car of its size and weight class, the MPG is nearly unbeatable. Usually, the size of a car comes at the expense of its fuel efficiency. The extra room does not come at the expense of the engine. The size of the 4xe, along with its high MPG, means that it functions well as a travel vehicle. It is capable of long drives without the worry of how much gas it will cost (truly a luxury with the state of the market currently).
Stop-and-go traffic is not very good for the environment or car engines, as a lot of gas is consumed from idling at traffic lights. When the engine is not in use, the battery can power the car. As a result, there is very little MPG dropoff from highway and city driving. This makes the 4xe a suitable car for whatever type of driving might be required of it.
The Interior
Part of what gives the 4xe that luxury feel is the extra attention to detail. The model has a wooden finish that spans from the driver door to the dashboard and the front passenger door. The wood color depends on the interior color of the car; however, the standard is black with a brown wooden finish. The wood stands out against the black covers, making the interior look extra sleek. Some models come with unique seat patterns, while others feature different color stitchings to act as highlights for the interior. It makes the inside pop out compared to having the same color seams.
The 4xe uses the same model as other Cherokee; however, the 4xe does not have two rows of back seats: there is only one back row. This reduces the number of total people it can fit. On the other hand, it provides the 4xe with some unique qualities. The most obvious one is that it provides a significant amount of extra space for cargo. 70.8 cu.ft. to be exact. The extra trunk space is a must for those who plan on transferring heavy objects like sports equipment or furniture.
The most revolutionary thing about the interior is that the passenger seat is adjustable! This is so impressive and had never been heard of before until now. Okay, it’s not that revolutionary; however, it is still a very useful feature that not every car has. Since there is only one set of rear seats, those sitting in the rear passenger can get as comfortable as they want.
There is no fear of not giving the other person in the back too little room to work with. Additionally, since the back passengers can adjust their seats, it gives the front passengers more adjustability. If the driver needs extra space, the person behind the driver can adjust their seats accordingly, too, and nobody has to fight to feel comfortable! Along with a touchscreen at the center console, the front passenger side of the dashboard comes with an additional screen. The passenger no longer needs to intrude on the driver’s screen to change the music or check the GPS.
If two screens aren’t enough, there are add-ons for back seat passenger screens. That would total four screens in the 4xe. Parents would not need to worry about their children having no entertainment throughout a long ride. There is even an app that all the screens share called “Are We There Yet?” which tracks the progress of the driving destination while providing real-time information, displaying distance and time.
Luxury and Efficiency, All Wrapped up in a Powerful SUV
The new Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe is the latest addition to a lineage of cars that have proven to be a favorite amongst elite luxury vehicles. Being the first hybrid Jeep Cherokee, it brings a new driving experience to a familiar American model with its multiple modes of functionality. It offers an above-average MPG, cutting down the total amount of spending at the pump. Lastly, the interior of the vehicle has a lot to offer. While beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, there is no denying that the interior of the 4xe has a lot to be desired. Attention to detail like the rear reclining seats and wood finish on the dash makes this hybrid Jeep truly a combination of luxury and innovation, and demands to be experienced in person.
