What Is It?
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of the most popular, best-selling SUVs of all time, and the fifth generation arrived last year with the Grand Cherokee L — the first-ever three-row Grand Cherokee. The five-passenger Grand Cherokee followed and now includes the Grand Cherokee 4xe, the first-ever plug-in hybrid version with 25 miles of all electric range on a full battery charge. Grand Cherokee continues to be one of the top-selling models in the Jeep lineup, and the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee has all-new architecture including a new exterior design, a new interior, upscale craftsmanship and new technology.
Test Vehicle
The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe is offered in four trim levels: 4xe, Trailhawk, Overland and Summit. Jeep provided us with a Grand Cherokee Overland finished in Silver Zynith paint with a black roof and Global Black interior to test drive. The starting MSRP for the Grand Cherokee Overland 4xe is $65,760. The test vehicle we drove featured additional options including the Luxury Tech Group IV, Advanced Protech Group III, Off-Road Group and Front Passenger Interactive Display for a total price as tested of $75,305 including a destination charge of $1,795.
Overland Options
The tester Grand Cherokee arrived equipped with the Luxury Tech Group IV, which includes Nappa leather seats, 12-way power front seats with back massage, 4-zone automatic temperature control and a wireless charging pad. The Advanced Protech Group III includes an active driving assist system, a head-up display, an intersection collision-assist system, night vision with pedestrian detection, a surround view camera, an integrated off-road camera and a map-in-cluster display.
Overland Off-Road Group
The Off-Road Group for the 202 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland includes skidplates, an electronic limited-slip rear differential, 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, all-season tires and Trail Rated badging.
Design
The redesigned fifth-generation Grand Cherokee is easily recognized as a Grand Cherokee, although the new design is a noticeable update from the previous generation on sale for more than 10 years. The iconic 7-slot grille of the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee is wider and larger, with a new front fascia designed to conceal the long-range radar and other high-tech components supporting new technology. The longer hood and wider track add to the SUV’s bold stance, and aerodynamic enhancements include active grille shutters, front-wheel spats and air curtains. At the rear, Grand Cherokee features slim wraparound LED taillights and integrated exhaust outlets at the edges of the lower fascia to punctuate the wide stance.
2022 Grand Cherokee 4xe
As we said, Jeep designers really hit the mark with the new Grand Cherokee exterior since it delivers on the dual duty of retaining the identity of the model heritage while being easily identified as a new version of the iconic SUV. The forward-tilted grille and the slim headlights signal the change, and the slim taillights seal the deal. The Grand Cherokee 4xe shares the same design as the gas-powered models with the addition of a charging port in the left front fender and a 4xe badge on the liftgate, along with blue tow hooks for Trailhawk and Overland.
Inner Space
Even more impressive than the exterior updates, the interior of the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee has a clean dashboard design with a horizontal lower wing to keep eye level up, combined with horizontal vents to emphasize vehicle width. A standard 10.1-inch display integrates seamlessly at the center, with a combination of digital and physical buttons for quick navigation. Climate control as well as volume and tuning knobs are within easy reach. A new rotary shifter as well as other drive controls for ride height and mode selection sit lower on the center console. The available 10.25-inch front passenger interactive display, first seen on Grand Wagoneer, allows the front-seat passenger to interact with the infotainment system and send information to the driver.
Under the Hood
The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe has a high-tech hybrid powertrain that combines two electric motors with a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine for a total system output of 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. Power output for the 2.0-liter engine alone is 270 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. All that energy gets delivered through an 8-speed automatic transmission and standard full-time 4-wheel drive. The U.S. EPA-estimated all-electric range for 4xe is 25 miles, and the Grand Cherokee 4xe also has an EPA estimate of 56 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) combined with both gas and electric, and 23 MPG gas only.
Two Electric Motors
A high-voltage eTorque generator / motor at the front of the Grand Cherokee engine produces 44 horsepower and 39 lb-ft of torque, replacing a conventional alternator and starter motor. This motor connects to the driveshaft and spins the engine quickly and seamlessly for smooth start/stop operation, while also generating electricity for the battery pack. A second motor / generator integrates with the automatic transmission and produces 134 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. Depending on the needs of the powertrain, the gas engine can be completely disengaged so only the electric motor is sending power to the wheels. Alternatively, the engine can re-engage to allow power from both the gas engine and electric motor to flow through the transmission.
Grand Cherokee 4xe E Select Modes
The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe offers three E Select modes: Hybrid, Electric and eSave. The default Hybrid mode combines power from the 2.0-liter engine and the electric motor and uses battery power first, then adds the 2.0-liter engine after the battery charge has been depleted, or when extra power is needed. In Electric mode, the 4xe will operate with electric power only until the battery is depleted, but will still engage the 2.0-liter engine when the driver requests more power by pushing down hard on the accelerator. In eSave, the 4xe will use power from the 2.0-liter engine to save battery charge for later use. The driver can use the Hybrid Electric Pages in the Uconnect infotainment system to choose between Battery Save or Battery Charge in eSave mode.
Regenerative Braking
The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe features regenerative braking that captures electricity to charge the battery. The driver can also select Max Regen for more aggressive regenerative braking, which generates more electricity when the accelerator is released.
On the Road
We drove the new Grand Cherokee last year at the launch of the redesigned 2022 model, so the Grand Cherokee 4xe is familiar and comfortable. But after pushing the Start button the experience changes. As with any electric vehicle, the Grand Cherokee 4xe accelerates away smoothly and quietly. Electric vehicles have plenty of immediate torque, although we were surprised by how aggressively we could accelerate in Hybrid mode and still keep the 4xe in electric-only mode.
On the Road
For many Grand Cherokee 4xe owners, the 25 miles of electric range means fuel stops are few and far between when the 4xe is plugged in every night. But the beauty of a plug-in hybrid is the combination of electric range and gas-electric hybrid mode, so there is never any issue with electric range. Electric mode will cover many miles of everyday driving, and the hybrid is always available, so any trip length is possible without concern about where to recharge.
Grand Cherokee 4xe Interior
To keep in step with so many American consumers who have migrated to SUVs as mainstream vehicles, the Grand Cherokee has evolved into a refined experience replete with luxury materials. As much as we appreciate the exterior design of the new Grand Cherokee, the interior makes its mark as one of the best available today. The center stack and console layout have the right combination of touchscreen and hard-touch buttons. Grand Cherokee Overland is one of the top trim levels, providing a luxurious experience with Nappa leather, back massage and 4-zone climate control.
Off-Road
We did not have the opportunity to take the Grand Cherokee Overland 4xe off road, but since we’ve driven both the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler 4xe in difficult off-road conditions, we have an idea of what to expect. With the Wrangler 4xe we did serious, technical rock crawling in full-electric mode, proving that Jeep has created a plug-in hybrid that will do everything expected of a Jeep — with an electric powertrain. The Grand Cherokee 4xe has the same capability for full-electric off-road adventures. With the Wrangler 4xe the electric torque is instantly available, and since the 4xe is nearly silent it’s much easier to hear the tires working in varying conditions.
Rating: 8.5
The fifth-generation Grand Cherokee adds not only the 3-row Grand Cherokee L, but the first-ever Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid — a powerful yet also fuel-efficient alternative with 25 miles of all-electric range. One of the best-selling SUVs of all time, the new Grand Cherokee 4xe offers a new alternative powertrain to broaden its appeal.
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