The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe has all the makings of a great SUV on paper. Who wouldn't want a plug-in hybrid Jeep that is both more efficient and quicker than its V8-powered stablemate? Unfortunately, we found it compromises comfort and value compared to the standard Grand Cherokee. Real-world fuel economy in our testing was underwhelming too.
Pros
Electric driving for short distances
Retains the off-roading capability of the standard Grand Cherokee
Quick acceleration
Quiet cabin for around-town driving
What's new
Overland and Trailhawk trims upgrade to a 10.1-inch touchscreen
A new High Altitude appearance package debuts for the top Summit trims
New 30th Anniversary model
Part of the fifth Grand Cherokee generation introduced for 2022
Overview
Vehicles from Jeep have made a mark for themselves as the go-to choice for all-terrain adventures but have largely been absent regarding electrification and highly efficient engines. That all changed a few years ago with the introduction of the 4xe (pronounced "four-by-e") line of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). Last year brought the debut of the Grand Cherokee 4xe, a midsize SUV that has all of the all-terrain prowess expected of the brand, with an electric twist.
The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe is estimated to offer 26 miles of electric-only range on a full charge and 23 mpg from the hybrid engine in combined city and highway driving. That could save you in fuel costs compared to a standard Grand Cherokee, but only if you're able to plug in and charge the 4xe's battery frequently. It's also considerably more expensive.
The high pricing of the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee puts it in league with more luxurious PHEV SUVs such as the BMW X5 xDrive45e and Volvo XC60 Recharge. Meanwhile, non-luxury PHEVs like the Kia Sorento cost significantly less. But if you intend to do any off-roading, the Grand Cherokee 4xe is the best choice of the bunch. Check out our test team's Expert Rating below to learn more about this hybrid SUV's biggest hits and misses.
What’s it like to live with?
Edmunds' car experts are evaluating a Grand Cherokee 4xe as part of our long-term test program. Read the 2023 Grand Cherokee 4xe long-term test to learn all about our experiences over a year and 20,000 miles.
Verdict
The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe has all the makings of a great SUV on paper. Who wouldn't want a plug-in hybrid Jeep that is both more efficient and quicker than its V8-powered stablemate? Unfortunately, we found it compromises comfort and value compared to the standard Grand Cherokee. Real-world fuel economy in our testing was underwhelming too.
Performance
How does the Grand Cherokee 4xe drive? The Grand Cherokee 4xe is certainly powerful. At our Edmunds test track, it accelerated from zero to 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds, a full second quicker than the 5.7-liter V8 Grand Cherokee we last tested. Unfortunately, the driving experience deteriorates from there. Handling isn't too bad for such a heavyset SUV, but you really feel the weight around each corner and it doesn't match with how athletic it feels in a straight line.
What's most disappointing about the 4xe is its around-town drivability. The hybrid powertrain doesn't blend the power from the engine and electric motor as well as it should, so it can be a challenge to drive this Jeep smoothly in stop-and-go traffic. As a consolation, the Grand Cherokee is better than most other SUVs for going off-road, though the 4xe's inconsistent power delivery could be problematic for precise off-road driving.
Comfort
How comfortable is the Grand Cherokee 4xe? This is normally a standout quality for the Grand Cherokee. Alas, the 4xe isn't as impressive. The added weight of the 4xe model affects ride quality to some extent, and you'll feel more bumps in the road than you will in a standard Grand Cherokee. The back seat also seemed less comfortable in our testing, possibly because of thinner seat cushioning that might be related to the battery pack's placement under the seat.
The Grand Cherokee 4xe's climate control does a pretty good job of maintaining a set target temperature, but even with fans at max speed, it didn't quite blow as much air as we expected it to. The one area where the 4xe improves on the standard SUV is interior noise. The hybrid powertrain is a lot quieter and even completely silent when running in EV mode. There is still a fair amount of road noise on the highway, however.
How’s the tech?
The 4xe has Jeep's latest Uconnect 5 infotainment system. It has crisp graphics, and the available integrated navigation system provides helpful turn-by-turn instructions. We did notice, however, that the screen's upward angle can sometimes catch glare from direct sunlight. Our test vehicle had the standard sound system, and though it wasn't quite as nice as the upgraded unit, we found it plenty adequate.
Smartphone integration comes standard, and along with it a ridiculous number of USB ports. (We counted 12 total in our loaded test car.) The Apple CarPlay wireless connection to our iPhone proved to be pretty buggy, and we experienced frequent disconnections. Thankfully you can connect through a USB cable.
We like the breadth of the Grand Cherokee's suite of advanced driver aids, but they weren't exactly issue-free. The adaptive cruise control is good most of the time but can react too slowly at times, and the lane-keeping system oddly seemed less effective than what we experienced in a previously tested regular Grand Cherokee. The frontal collision system also threw up false positives on a couple of occasions. We're not sure why our experience was so much worse in the 4xe than in the standard model, but nonetheless, it's disappointing to see this inconsistency.
Interior
How’s the interior? There's plenty of space in the Grand Cherokee 4XE, with room for passengers up to 6 feet tall in the reclining second row. It's pretty easy to get in and out too. It does have poor forward visibility in some instances because of the Grand Cherokee's large front pillars and side view mirrors. Get the available surround-view camera system if you can help take much of the guesswork out of parking.
Most of the controls are easy to use, but some of the dials are a bit small, and other buttons are positioned at strange angles. Also, certain angles of sunlight can completely obscure the labels for some of the touch-sensitive controls.
Technology
Storage
How’s the storage? The 4xe retains all of the standard Grand Cherokee's 37.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row of seats due to the battery location under the rear passenger bench. This is an average amount of space for a midsize SUV, but it's a win for a PHEV since the battery usually eats into some of that space. The rear seats split and fold flat for loading large items, and only the tallish load-in height may be the one hurdle for some people.
Storage for smaller items is ample, with plenty of cupholders and spacious center console bins in the first and second rows. Car seat space in the back is ample. There are two sets of anchors on the outboard seats that are easily accessible behind classy leather flaps. The Grand Cherokee 4xe offers excellent towing capability, easily outdoing rivals with a 6,000-pound maximum capacity.
Fuel Economy
How’s the fuel economy?
The EPA estimates that the Grand Cherokee 4xe will go about 26 miles on all-electric power and an EPA-estimated 23 mpg in combined city/highway driving after that. Both figures are on the low side in the realm of plug-in SUVs. On our mixed-driving evaluation route, we drove just 20 miles before the gas engine clicked on. In real-world driving, we've recorded an average of 22.4 mpg. That's not terrible considering how much power this 4xe makes, but it's also not that impressive for a hybrid.
Value
Is the Grand Cherokee 4xe a good value? The Grand Cherokee 4xe and other plug-in hybrid Jeeps are a bit of a niche in the market. While no plug-in hybrids offer quite the off-road prowess that Jeep does, the Grand Cherokee 4xe fails to fully impress on comfort, drivability, and efficiency fronts. The interior build quality of our test model was disappointing, too. Considering the 4xe's significant price premium, we think a regular Grand Cherokee is the better deal. Jeep's warranty coverage is average for the class.
Wildcard
The Grand Cherokee 4xe boasts an imposing exterior design, quick acceleration, and excellent towing and off-road capabilities. That would seem to hit the mark for what a Jeep SUV should be like, but the compromises in other areas significantly dull the Grand Cherokee 4xe's appeal.
Which Grand Cherokee 4xe does Edmunds recommend?
Among the six trim levels, we think you'll get the most value by sticking with the base 4xe version of the SUV. It's equipped like a Grand Cherokee Limited, so it has appealing wheels and leather seats. Plus, you can upgrade this model with a Luxury Tech Group II for added comfort, tech, and safety
features.
Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe models
Jeep offers the 2023 Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrid in 4xe, 30th Anniversary 4xe, Trailhawk 4xe, Overland 4xe, Summit 4xe, and Summit Reserve 4xe trim levels. Each has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, two electric motors, a hybrid battery pack, and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain makes 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque that gets to the ground through a standard four-wheel-drive system. The highlights of each trim level are below:
The base version of the Grand Cherokee 4xe includes:
18-inch wheels
Full-size spare tire
Automatic high-beam LED headlights
LED foglights
Roof rails
Sunroof
Heated exterior mirrors with LED turn signal indicators
Power Liftgate
LED cargo area lighting
Proximity-sensing keyless entry
Remote engine start
Inside the cabin, you'll find:
Ambient interior lighting
The 10.25-inch digital instrumentation panel
Navigation system
Dual-zone automatic climate control
Leather seats (for vehicles built earlier in the model year)
Synthetic leather seats (for vehicles built later in the model year)
Power-adjustable front seats
Heated front and rear seats
Heated steering wheel
Driver's seat memory settings
The Grand Cherokee 4xe has a Uconnect 5 infotainment system with:
10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Satellite Radio
Connected services including access to a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot
Second-row charge-only USB ports
Nine-speaker Alpine audio system
Safety features include:
Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Jeep and the car in front)
Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
Lane departure mitigation (warns you of a lane departure when a turn signal isn't used and can automatically steer to maintain lane position)
Blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning (alerts you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse)
Rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible behind the vehicle when parking)
Rear automatic braking (brakes if sensors detect an imminent collision with an object behind the vehicle)
Rear seat reminder (alerts you to check the rear seat before exiting the vehicle)
A Luxury Tech Group II is optional for the base trim. It adds:
Perforated seat inserts
Ventilated front seats
Power-adjustable steering wheel
Second-row window sunshades
Wireless smartphone charger
Rain-sensing windshield wipers
Digital rearview mirror (allows you to see out the back even with a fully loaded cargo area)
Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Grand Cherokee and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
Integrated off-road camera (gives you a forward view of the terrain directly in front of the Jeep)
Front parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of the vehicle when parking)
Front cross-traffic alert (warns you if vehicles are about to cross your path while you're approaching or waiting at an intersection)
30th Anniversary 4xe
This new trim commemorates three decades since the first Grand Cherokee debuted and adds:
20-inch wheels
Dark exterior trim
Rain-sensing windshield wipers
Additional body-colored elements
Blue recovery hooks
Ventilated front seats
Wireless charging pad
Digital rearview mirror (allows you to see out the back even with a fully loaded cargo area)
Front cross-traffic warning (alerts you if vehicles are about to cross your path while you're approaching or waiting at an intersection)
Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Grand Cherokee and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
Trailhawk 4xe
This trim level adds a significant upgrade in off-roading capability thanks to:
All-terrain tires
Revised front styling for an improved approach angle
Upgraded four-wheel-drive system
Air suspension (adjusts to raise or lower the vehicle's ride height)
Disconnecting the front stabilizer bar (enhances wheel articulation when off-roading)
Protective underbody skid plates
Electronic limited-slip rear differential (enhances traction when off-roading)
Selec-Speed off-road cruise control system
Front and rear tow hooks
Additionally, the Trailhawk 4xe comes with:
Black hood decal
Black roof
Power-folding exterior mirrors
Trailering equipment and hitch-zoom camera
All-weather floor mats
Leather seats with suede inserts
Ventilated front seats
Expanded connected services
Backup camera washer
An optional Luxury Tech Group III equips the Trailhawk 4xe with:
Rain-sensing windshield wipers
Hands-free liftgate
Power-adjustable steering wheel
Second-row window sunshades
Wireless smartphone charger
Digital rearview mirror
In addition, the Advanced ProTech Group II adds these upgrades to the Trailhawk 4xe:
Surround-view camera system
Night vision camera (displays an infrared image of the area in front of the vehicle to assist while driving at night)
Front parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of the vehicle when parking)
Front cross-traffic warning
Overland 4xe
The Overland 4xe swaps the trailhawk's maximum off-roading talent and builds on base-level equipment with upscale amenities such as:
20-inch wheels
Air suspension
Front tow hooks
Upgraded exterior lighting
Rain-sensing windshield wipers
Windshield wiper de-icer system
Power-folding exterior mirrors
Hands-free liftgate
Trailering equipment and hitch-zoom camera
Upgraded interior trim
Improved interior lighting
Power-adjustable steering wheel
Upgraded leather upholstery
Ventilated front seats
Additional connected services
Alpine premium sound system
Front parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of the vehicle when parking)
An Off-Road Group is optional for the Overland 4xe. It includes:
18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires
Electronic limited-slip rear differential
Underbody skid plates
You can also upgrade this model with the Luxury Tech Group IV:
Four-zone automatic climate control
Upgraded front seats with massage
Nappa leather seats
Second-row window sunshades
Wireless smartphone charger
Digital rearview mirror (allows you to see out the back even with a fully loaded cargo area)
The Advanced ProTech Group III option installs Advanced ProTech Group II equipment plus:
Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line on the windshield)
Lane-keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
Active Driving Assist (combines the adaptive cruise control and the lane-keeping systems to ease highway driving)
Night vision camera (displays an infrared image of the area in front of the vehicle to assist while driving at night)
Integrated off-road camera (gives you a forward view of the terrain directly in front of the Jeep)
Surround-view camera
Backup camera washer
This is a plusher version of the Grand Cherokee plug-in, adding:
Unique 20-inch wheels
All-season performance tires
Upgraded four-wheel-drive system
Electronic limited-slip rear differential
Black roof
Illuminated door sill trim
Premium leather door panel trim
Wood and leather steering wheel
Premium Berber floor mats
Reversible carpeted and vinyl cargo mat
Four-zone automatic climate control
Upgraded front seats with massage
Additional tech and driving aids include:
Integrated off-road camera (gives you a forward view of the terrain directly in front of the Jeep)
Backup camera washer
Driver attention warning (issues an alert if sensors determine you are becoming fatigued)
Lane-keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
Active Driving Assist (combines the adaptive cruise control and the lane-keeping systems to ease highway driving)
Side parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible to the side of the vehicle when parking)
Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)
This version of the Grand Cherokee 4xe is available with a Luxury Tech Group V:
Second-row window sunshades
Wireless smartphone charger
An Advanced ProTech Group IV is another option, adding:
Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line on the windshield)
Digital rearview mirror (allows you to see out the back even with a fully loaded cargo area)
Night vision camera (displays an infrared image of the area in front of the vehicle to assist while driving at night)
A luxury SUV in all but brand name, the top-shelf Grand Cherokee 4xe has Summit equipment plus:
21-inch wheels
Premium leather upholstery
19-speaker high-end McIntosh audio system
The Summit Reserve is available with the same option packages as the Summit.
