What’s New in the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe: A Detailed Overview

The Grand Cherokee is one of Jeep’s most important models in the UAE – the other is the Wrangler. While the Wrangler’s primary mission is conquering demanding terrain, the Grand Cherokee’s quest is more tricky. It not only needs to be capable off-road but also pleasant and comfortable on the road as well.

Striking such a balance becomes all the more crucial when discussing the plug-in hybrid Grand Cherokee 4xe. Where SUVs like the Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser are body-on-frame, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe is a unibody. Once Stellantis Middle East makes it easily available in the UAE, the new Grand Cherokee 4xe’e journey will become interesting.

Variants & Price

While it’s on sale in the U.S., the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe is yet to be fully available in the UAE market. The midsize hybrid SUV was to be launched in the Middle East in November 2024. However, the revised launch date places it somewhere in the first half of 2025. The Grand Cherokee 4xe is expected to cost about AED 300,000.

Exterior

If you have seen the regular Jeep Grand Cherokee, then you have seen the 4xe as well. This is because there are no major design changes between them. However, this is not an unfavorable outcome as the regular Grand Cherokee is a handsome car to begin with. There will be differences though, but only between different variants of the 4xe.

One of the exterior quirks of the Grand Cherokee 4xe is its blue-colored tow hooks in the bumpers. Depending on the variant, the exterior of the Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrid comes with a few more design details. These include blue-tinted “Trail Rated 4x4” emblems, “Trailhawk” lettering on blue highlights, blue Willy’s Jeep graphics, and a blue “Summit” badge.

Those aren’t all. There’s “Jeep” and “4xe” branding with blue detailing, along with a blue “e” logo on the charging lid. The Grand Cherokee 4xe’s wedge-shaped front fascia hosts Jeep’s iconic seven-slot grille, either finished in chrome or all-black. The chiseled hood features a ‘power bulge’, while the deep bumper houses a central air dam and side intakes.

The front bumper houses foglights, too. The sleek headlights look premium and have individual LED eyebrow elements. The wagon-like styling of the Grand Cherokee’s body is unmistakably a Jeep trademark, and so are the squared-off wheel arches. As for the alloy wheels, they range between 18-21 inches. A sharp character line runs the body’s length, and there are ‘floating’ D-pillars too.

Apart from optional dual-tone exterior liveries with a black roof, the Grand Cherokee 4xe gets slim LED taillights. There’s a roof spoiler, silver/black roof rails, static reflectors on the bumper, and chrome-tipped exhaust tips with a pentagonal design. The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe is 4,915 mm long, 1,969 mm wide, 1,974 mm wide, and has a wheelbase of 2,964 mm.

Interior

Unlike the regular model, the Grand Cherokee 4xe is only available as a 5-seater. A minimum boot space of over 1,000 liters continues to be one of the best attributes of this interior. The look & feel of the Grand Cherokee’s interior is modern and classy. There’s stitched and quilted leather, along with piano black trim and aluminum accents.

The wood inserts on the dashboard and doors look nice, while the plush leather seats are well-cushioned and comfortable. The knurled gear-selector knob and blue-backlit “McIntosh” speaker grilles are a few of the other premium details. Speaking of, the blue LED ambient cabin lighting of the Grand Cherokee 4xe looks good too. Then there’s the fantastic-sounding 950-watt premium audio system!

The driver views vehicle status/information on a 10.1-inch customizable gauge cluster, aided by a full-color 10-inch head-up display. This HUD projects details on turn-by-turn navigation and driver assistance features, but can also notify you of incoming calls. The Uconnect 5 infotainment system is housed in a 10.1-inch touchscreen and supports wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto plus Amazon Alexa.

The Grand Cherokee 4xe gets an optional 10.25-inch touchscreen for the front passenger. This unit almost mimics the main touchscreen in terms of its functionality but mostly contains several interactive features. Jeep offers the Grand Cherokee 4xe with heated & cooled seats, wireless charging, four-zone climate control, and a twin-pane sunroof. The Trailhawk variant features blue stitching and “Trailhawk” motifs.

Engine and performance

The ‘ICE’ part of the Grand Cherokee 4xe comes from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This petrol unit pumps out 270 hp and 400 Nm on its own. The ‘Hybrid’ part of this equation is the result of two electric motors and a 17-kWh lithium-ion battery. Combined, this hybrid system produces a total of 375 hp and 637 Nm.

Jeep has equipped the Grand Cherokee 4xe with its Quadra-Trac II permanent four-wheel-drive system, a two-speed transfer case, and front axle disconnect. The Grand Cherokee 4xe can also be optioned with a rear electronic limited-slip differential and Jeep’s Quadra-Lift air suspension. There’s Selec-Terrain traction management system with Rock, Snow, Mud/Sand, Sport, and Auto modes – these further enhance off-road performance.

Speaking of performance, the Grand Cherokee 4xe can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in under 6 seconds. The top speed is around 190 kmph. When driving off-road, the Selec-Speed Control system ensures a slow but managed pace whether going uphill or downhill. Thanks to the air suspension, the Grand Cherokee 4xe rides well over almost any type of road surface.

Furthermore, it allows the vehicle to be lifted in case you need to clear really rough terrain. The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe has an 8-speed automatic transmission and multiple levels of regenerative braking. Its maximum electric-only range is 40 km (25 miles) and its maximum towing capacity is 2,720 kg.

Safety

The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe gets collision warning with active braking, active lane management, lane-departure warning, plus lane-keeping assist. It also has adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection, tire-pressure monitoring, surround-view cameras, drowsiness detection, etc.

Conclusion

If you want your Grand Cherokee to be slightly more fuel-efficient but a lot quicker, you’ll love the 4xe! However, it’ll be costlier than its equivalent V6-only counterpart.