The Jeep Wrangler 4xe is the best-selling plug-in hybrid in America and for 2023 it gets a new family member to the lineup, the heritage inspired Willys 4xe which makes its debut at the Detroit Auto Show.
The most powerful Jeep Wrangler available, the Willys 4xe 4xe plug-in hybrid boasts the performance and efficiency of 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. It’s 17 kWh battery offers up 21 miles of all-electric range and it features a 49 MPGe rating.
Willys 4xe features Jeep’s go-anywhere hardware including a 2.72:1 Selec-Trac full-time 4WD system, rear limited-slip differential, heavy-duty Dana 44 axles and LT255/75R17C mud-terrain tires. A factory suspension lift provides 10.1 inches of ground clearance and 30 inches of water fording capability.
Style is unique here with a special ‘Willys’ decal on the hood, in the 4xe’s signature Electric Blue. At the rear is a unique ‘Electric 4-Wheel Drive’ decal letting everyone know this Willys is a plug-in hybrid. Electric Blue is also used to accent the front and rear Willys tow hooks, the Jeep badge and the Trail Rated badge.
The Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe has standard LED headlamps and fog lamps, rock rails, black grille, and 17-inch black-painted alloy wheels. You will also find skid plates underneath as well as front and rear blue tow hooks. Inside is a the Alpine 9-speaker premium audio and all-weather floor mats among other upgrades.
The Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe powertrain features two electric motors and a 400-volt battery pack backing up a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission.
A high-voltage, liquid-cooled eTorque motor generator high at the front of the engine replaces a conventional alternator. The motor generator spins the engine for nearly seamless, fuel-saving, start-stop operation and generates electricity for the battery pack.
Mounted between the engine and transmission is the larger and more powerful e-motor that provides power for pure electric operation and hybrid driving. Its 400-volt, 17-kWh, 96-cell lithium-ion battery pack and its control hardware are mounted underneath the second-row seat inside the passenger compartment.
It operates on three modes, Hybrid, Electric and eSave. Hybrid blends power from the engine and electric motor using battery power first then switching over to gasoline only when battery is depleted.
Electric mode powers the Willys 4xe on zero-emission electric power only until the battery reaches the minimum charge or the driver requests more power which can bring on the gasoline engine termporaily. Esave mode holds the battery and operates the gasoline engine exclusively, saving it for a later time of chosen Electric mode.
Pricing for the 2023 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe starts at $53,995, now the least expensive plug-in hybrid Wrangler in the lineup. Ordering for the 2023 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe is available now with deliveries scheduled to begin late in 2022.
