Grand Cherokee combines hybrid tech with off-road chops

Like every manufacturer selling vehicles in today’s market, Jeep has an EV plan for the future. Unlike carmakers who don’t have a legendary off-road reputation, I think the integration of hybrid and EV tech with Jeep may feel a bit unnatural.

I had the chance to get this Jeep off the pavement and to see how a hybrid Jeep might hold up on some dirt paths in western Illinois. While I was certainly prepared for the lap of luxury offered by the Grand Cherokee, I had afforded myself some flex judging the hybrid powerplant’s performance off-road. Thankfully, all was good in Jeep World.

There’s been a lot of focus at Jeep put on the Grand Wagoneer, and rightfully so given the promotional push and overall great reviews it has enjoyed. However, at the expense of some of the more unique things going on at Jeep, like the 4xe EV option added to the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, there’s big news in other corners of the Jeep universe.

3 variants/5 trims

Pick your size of Grand Cherokee. Grand Cherokee L offers a larger cabin and a third row; a two-row version Grand Cherokee has been launched, and lastly, this plug-in hybrid 2-row Grand Cherokee rounds out the stablemates from Jeep. The Grand Cherokee is offered in five trim levels: 4xe, Trailhawk 4xe, Overland 4xe, Summit 4xe, and Summit Reserve 4xe.

Like the non-hybrid Grand Cherokees, the 4xe is available with two 4x4 systems: Quadra-Trac II (which routes up to 100% of available torque to the axle with the most traction) and Quadra-Drive II (which transfers up to 100% of available torque to a single rear wheel if needed).

Exterior statement

Lacking the hulking proportions of the Grand Wagoneer, the Grand Cherokee is a handsome SUV that handles on and off the road. Possibly the best thing about the plug-in hybrid Grand Cherokee was that on the outside you could not tell it was anything other than a standard gas-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee. My tester had the subtle blue “e” in 4xe, and a port charger door in front of the driver door, but nothing else indicated it was anything other than a Grand Cherokee.

Off-road fans will like the 10.9 inches of ground clearance and up to 24 inches of water fording capability. The Grand Cherokee’s underside has a 3.5-millimeter skid plate that protects the battery pack. By my accounts looking below, it sure looks protected well.

4xe performance

Jeep claims 56 mpge for the Grand Cherokee 4xe, which includes an EPA-estimated 26 all-electric miles. That’s pretty grand for this Jeep. The lone engine option is a hybrid 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, cranking out a combined 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. Mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, the Grand Cherokee is responsive and quick to jump to attention.

Of course, this review is for the 4xe variant, so we must delve into the all-electric status. Running my tester in the all-electric mode provided the most fun. It’s quite capable as a hybrid and there’s wrong with the 2.0-liter engine, but once you hit the “electric” button everything changes. Dropping fuel power for the exclusive energies of the combined two-motor drive, the Grand Cherokee 4xe gives you a torque response that is great.

The base model Grand Cherokee offers five terrain modes (auto, sport, rock, snow, and mud/sand). As easy as snapping a toggle switch to move from one to the other, it’s all conveniently located next to the gear shifter. The base Grand Cherokee 4xe also offers heated power leather seats in both rows.

Refined cabin

Upscale is the theme throughout the cabin and the dash looks refined and is very convenient to use. I loved the Uconnect 5 infotainment system on board with its 10.1-inch touchscreen. This is an intuitive system and one of my favs.

My tester featured a back massager up front and 2nd-row window shades and upgraded Nappa leather seats. The cabin is pretty open to start with, but add in the huge dual-pane panoramic sunroof ($1,883) and the cabin feels like a convertible at times.

The base Grand Cherokee 4xe starts at $57,700 and increases to $62,485 for the Trailhawk 4xe. My tester added several off-road capabilities like crawl control and sway bar disconnect and a bunch of interior add-ons for comfort. The final price was $71,790, not too bad for the level of refinement and the hybrid off-road capabilities.

• John Stein is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. He has more than 25 years of experience driving, testing, and writing about the automotive industry, its latest innovations, and vehicles.