Jeep to release 2022 Wrangler only as PHEV in most of Europe
Jeep will offer its Wrangler only as a plug-in hybrid in European left-hand drive markets with the new 2022 model year. The slightly revised 2022 model of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe will also receive some minor updates, including a host of new ADAS features.
Introduced last year, Jeep will now only offer the 2022 Wrangler on sale in large parts of Europe as a hybrid-electric vehicle. This is in line with the goal of selling 70 per cent of Jeep’s range globally as electrified vehicles by 2025, the brand stated. The launch of the new model year will begin immediately with orders starting in Italy, Spain, Belgium and Serbia. Order books are expected to open in other European countries later this month.
The 2022 Wrangler 4xe differs from the current model with some minor updates. However, the PHEV powertrain with two electric motors delivering 280 kW and a 17-kWh battery pack remains unchanged. However, instead of the 40-kilometre EV range according to the US homologation from the summer of 2020, the Stellantis subsidiary now states an electric range of more than 50 kilometres in the WLTP city cycle.
The updates mainly concern driver assistance systems. Among other things, the new model year has automatic high beam control, a collision warning system including brake assist and adaptive cruise control with stop function on board as standard. The current (and future) standard equipment also includes a blind spot warning system with rear crossing detection, a reversing camera and a parking assistant in the front and rear.
There are also new ‘customisation’ options, including an optional Gorilla Glass windscreen from Jeep Performance Parts (JPP), a Sunrider flip roof from Mopar that complements the current soft top combinations, and some special colours. In terms of connectivity, the new Wrangler 4xe now boasts UconnectTM Services connectivity service, which can be used to manage charging and remotely control the car, among other features.
As briefly mentioned above, nothing changes in the PHEV layout: the combustion engine is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine from FCA’s Global Medium Engine family. The turbo engine is supported by two high-voltage E-machines: One sits at the front of the engine and replaces the classic alternator and starter as a motor-generator unit. This e-motor is used, for example, for more convenient operation of the automatic start-stop system, but also as a generator to charge the high-voltage battery. More important for the drive is the electric motor integrated into the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. The transmission, designated ZF 8P75PH, comes from the large order for hybrid transmissions that FCA placed with the Lake Constance-based company last year. The battery is mounted under the rear seat and, according to Jeep, consists of 96 NMC cells and has an energy content of 17 kilowatt-hours.
Technically, the plug-in drive of the Wrangler SUV has nothing in common with the part-time electric drive of the two compact SUVs Renegade and Compass. This duo relies on a so-called transaxle hybrid: the combustion engine and an electric motor drive only the front axle, a second electric motor only the rear axle.
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