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Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4xe | Test Drive
JEEP WRANGLER 4xe
Jeep tells a tale destined to last forever. Each of us would like to be child again for at least one day and with the Wrangler this is possible. The Rubicon 4xe makes everything even more fun.
Words Marco Mancino / Photos S. Lomax
When I was a child I would never have left home without bringing two very specific things with me: a stuffed wolf called Leone (don’t ask why!) and my favorite model car. The toy car in question was red but it wasn’t a Ferrari, it was a Jeep. I will never forget all the adventures I created with it, in a miniature world where every object within my reach became a fundamental part of a story that filled the days of a child who would never have believed that the worst thing that could happen would be been growing up. With the passing of time many things are lost, especially the spontaneity and the desire to play, imprisoned in the fast pace of working days and the worries of adulthood. Not today, because as I approach the car of my test it’s like stepping back in time, with the difference that I don’t think I can put this Wrangler in my pocket.
The new model brings with it numerous innovations, most of which are invisible to the naked eye. Let’s start immediately by narrowing the circle of information: we are talking about the brand new Plug-In Hybrid version called 4xe, which in the case of the Wrangler is only available for the long wheelbase version. Excluding the Sahara spec, the Rubicon of our test is therefore the top of the range, the one that leaves no room for doubts and makes the image of the Jeep par excellence damn ready to get dirty like a Labrador puppy. After all, we are not dealing with an SUV or a crossover, but with an object with a specific purpose in mind, that of tackling any type of terrain, out of necessity and even better when it comes to pure fun.
The 4xe is very attractive and introduces the hybrid system in the generous car body of the Wrangler, which maintains its external look substantially unchanged, except for a few badges and for the charging socket located on the front fender, a Type 2 through which to recharge the 17 kWh battery pack cleverly placed under the rear bench. In this way, the space on board is not affected and the proverbial height from the ground offered by the Jeep remains unchanged, something essential when the road will give way to sharp rocks, just to give you an example. The chassis is the same as before, under the hood we find a 2-liter petrol engine that is combined with two electric motors. The operating one is positioned upstream of the gearbox and this turns out to be one of the main details capable of not affecting the traditional operation envisaged for gearbox and differential.
Remaining on mechanical details, we then find the excellent 8-speed automatic transmission, the hyper-tested ZF torque converter, which proves to be excellent both on road and off-road. In this regard, just to make sure I do not forget anything in terms of salient facts, the Wrangler maintains traction on the rear axle as standard (with limited slip differential), which can be modified using the high and low gears lever and thus allowing you to select all-wheel drive on demand, permanent AWD and even the differential lock. Well, now that we have quickly reviewed what are the basic technical traits and since I can no longer wait, it is time to engage the four-wheel drive and get dirt up to the eyes.
The Wrangler Unlimited is all that is needed to become child again and as I walk the first few meters on a dirt road I start to really get in tune with the behavior of the car. If on the road it is precise and with a steering that seems more direct and precise than that of the Gladiator, the gigantic dimensions and the perceived encumbrance through the city streets require constant attention, also because you may not realize that you have run over some annoying Smart car. Fortunately, Jeep has equipped the model with two very detailed and washable cameras, one located in the center of the iconic seven-slot front grille, the other in the spare wheel holder. Then there is the possibility of literally disassembling each panel of the body and then removing the doors (front and rear), the roof and folding the windshield over the engine hood, enjoying a driving experience in perfect contact with the surrounding nature.
The road becomes steeper and with vegetation that alternates sections closed in a tunnel of trees with wider ones, I continue with disarming ease, noticing how the addition of the electrical counterpart immediately demonstrates its effectiveness. I try to put the Jeep in troubles, for the simple reason that it makes everything seem too easy, but there is no way to stop it. Even when I leave the path and shamelessly throw myself up towards the side of the mountain which has a slope of about 40 °, the Wrangler slightly increases the engine revs as it rises over the crest leaving all of us shocked in amazement. All this happens while I am comfortably tossed around in a significantly improved passenger compartment thanks to the use of leather and soft materials. There is soft rubber and nice plastics everywhere, an aspect not to be taken for granted at all, since the ideal customer implies a use that is anything but civilized.
It is an object designed for fun in the absolute sense of the word. If there is a pool of water you will throw yourself into it (perhaps with all the panels in place), if there is snow, mud or the most difficult of paths, you will want to run over it and find out what lies beyond, for the pure pleasure of doing it because you can. After all, Jeep is a lifestyle and drawing from the endless possibilities of customization, I do not see a reason good enough not to go back being a child and get your hands dirty, not caring about conference calls and business plans. At least for a moment, let me do that.
Hybridization should not be seen at all as the usual handshake to the politically correct that is tearing up every aspect of everyday life. The argument here is not those 50 km that can be driven in 100% electric mode, but the fact that those 140 horsepower supplied by the electrons represent something that improves off-road qualities. I’ll be clearer: imagine yourself in a really difficult situation, where you need immediate traction, but without losing power or unnecessarily increasing engine revs. In some extreme cases it is a matter of millimeters and with a Jeep you will never consider going back. The electric units come into play and allow, thanks to the instantaneous delivery which provides zero dispersion, to favor traction and torque, pulling you out of those absurd scenarios in which you happen to get caught when a place is not designed for a motor vehicle.
The 2.0-cc delivers 270 horsepower, which calculated together with those of the electric unit, give the Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4xe a total power of 380 hp. Trust me, because despite its 2 tons and 300 kilos of weight, it takes just 6.4 seconds to shoot from zero to one hundred per hour. I want to keep playing and I have no intention of stopping, also because the driver’s seat is a really nice place to be. You can feel the Made in U.S.A. quality deservedly flaunted on the plaques affixed to the inside of the doors and enjoy every kilometer traveled from an elevated position that allows you to keep under control the dimensions of the most trusted friend that an overgrown child could wish for. For a few weeks I went back to a carefree childhood and even without my stuffed wolf, I used to leave home every morning with a huge smile on my face, because waiting for me in the garage (it barely fits, ed) here it is, the Wrangler.
JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED 4xe
Engine 4 cylinder Plug-In Hybrid, 1.995 cc Power 380 hp (270 hp @ 5.250 rpm) Torque 637 Nm @ 3.000 rpm
Traction All-Wheel-Drive Transmission 8-Speed Automatic Gearbox Weight 2.300 kg
0-100 kph 6,4 sec Top Speed 156 kph Price from €76.300
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