Jeep unveiled two new special editions at the Detroit Auto Show Wednesday, the 2023 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe and the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe 30th Anniversary edition. Interestingly, Jeep is using its hybrids as the basis for its newest trim packages, ones that invoke Jeep’s heritage, even as it continues to push the brand’s most cutting-edge hybrid drivelines.
If the company had any trepidation about selling Jeeps with electrified drivelines, those fears were calmed long ago now that the Wrangler 4xe is the best-selling plug-in hybrid in America.
2023 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe
Like many Willys Jeeps, the Wrangler Willys 4xe is built in Toldeo, Ohio, and boasts Willys badges. And they’re Jeeps. But that’s where the resemblance ends. They weren’t painted Electric Blue with an ‘Electric 4-Wheel Drive’ decal on the tailgate.
There’s also standard LED headlamps and fog lamps, rock rails, black grille, blue tow hooks, rear limited-slip differential and 17-inch black-painted alloy wheels wearing mud-terrain tires. Inside, you’ll find an Alpine 9-speaker premium audio, and all-weather floor mats. And it’s capable, thanks to a 2.72:1 Selec-Trac full-time four-wheel-drive system, and heavy-duty Dana 44 axles, providing 10.1 inches of ground clearance and 30 inches of water fording.
Jim Morrison, senior vice president and head of Jeep brand North America, describes it as “the ultimate combination of capability and electrification, with a vintage twist.”
Sounds true.
Powering the Wrangler Willys 4xe is a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, a 17-kWh battery pack, an engine-mounted generator and a transmission-mounted motor-generator integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission that generates 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. It returns 49 mpg, and can run 21 miles purely on electricity.
The 2023 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe is expected to arrive at dealers in the fourth quarter of 2022 starting at of $53,995, plus a $1,595 destination charge, but excluding $7,500 tax credit, options or sales tax.
2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe 30th Anniversary Edition
Has it really been 30 years since the first Jeep Grand Cherokee? Think of how many companies have owned Jeep since then. Nevertheless, Jeep is marking the occasion with the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe 30th Anniversary Edition.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe 30th Anniversary Edition is a $4,700 option package exclusive to the Grand Cherokee that starts with blacked-out exterior trim and adds a modified front fascia, blue tow hooks, dual exhaust, dual-pane sunroof, 20-inch black wheels, special-edition badging and body-color rear fascia, lower moldings, sill claddings and wheel flares.
Climb inside, and the anniversary celebration continues with black leather seats, ventilated front seats, wireless charging, 9-speaker Alpine audio system, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, front/rear park assist, Intersection Collision Assist, rain-sensing windshield wipers, digital rearview mirror and a 360-degree surround view camera.
The Grand Cherokee 4xe uses the same hybrid driveline as the Wrangler Willys 4xe, but providing 25 miles of all-electric range and 56 MPGe fuel economy. A two-speed transfer case, 2.72:1 low-range gear ratio and 47.4:1 crawl ratio comes standard, as does up to 10.9 inches of ground clearance and 24 inches of water-fording capability. A 4×4 Selec-Terrain traction management system offers Auto, Sport, Rock, Snow, Mud/Sand driving modes.
And if driving the Grand Cherokee off-road isn’t entertaining enough, there’s always a a 10.25-inch front passenger screen, rear-seat screens with Amazon Fire TV, a 19-speaker, 950-watt McIntosh audio system and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And just to make sure that everyone behaves, there’s also a rear-seat monitoring camera system.
“When the original Jeep Grand Cherokee debuted in 1992 by famously crashing through the glass at Cobo Hall, it literally shattered expectations and redefined what a premium SUV could be. Three decades later and more than 7 million Grand Cherokees sold, the most awarded SUV ever,” said Jeep’s Morrison.
“The Grand Cherokee 4xe 30th Anniversary edition underscores how far the Grand Cherokee has come and is yet another example of the Jeep brand’s goal to be the electrification leader in SUVs.”
Look for the special to arrive at Jeep dealers by early 2023.
