Jeep Grand Cherokee PHEV Lands in Europe Ahead of Jeep Ditching Pure-Combustion in 2022

Jeep’s new flagship, the Grand Cherokee, will be available to pre-order in the UK exclusively as a 375bhp plug-in hybrid from next week. It thus plays a central role in the 4×4 brand’s promise to switch entirely to electric drive in Europe.

This is the third PHEV model Jeep has launched in Europe, following the 4xe versions of its smaller Renegade and Compass crossovers. The company is pursuing an ambitious strategy to strengthen its presence in Europe and electrify its product range.

The company will stop selling pure internal combustion engine models in Europe this year – except for Italy – and will only offer plug-in and mild hybrids under the 4xe designation to drive full electrification. CEO Christian Meunier confirmed that the company will provide an all-electric model in “every major SUV segment” by 2025. At that point, 70% of the company’s global sales will be electrified.

Jeep is already the best-selling low-emission vehicle brand in Italy, where the Compass and Renegade are built, and the new Wrangler 4xe is reportedly the best-selling PHEV in Jeep’s US home market, accounting for 25% of the company’s sales in the region.

The phasing out of the internal combustion engine-only models in Europe this year means that the Wrangler 4xe, with the same powertrain and a range of up to 25 miles, will also be launched in this country later this year.

Meunier told reporters, “We are accelerating electrification, reinforcing 4×4 capabilities and the spirit of freedom with electrification.

“It’s not just about being greener, and it’s about highlighting and enhancing the capabilities of our Jeeps – making them more fun, more exciting, more sustainable and quiet off-road.”

Details of Jeep’s first all-electric car are not yet known, but Meunier pointed to the Wrangler-based Magneto EV concept – “more Jeep than Jeep” – as a sign of the company’s priorities in the transition to electrification.

Meunier said that “order does not matter” when it comes to the electrification of the Jeep portfolio, but there will be “a couple of BEVs before the Wrangler“.

Asked if the brand will move into new segments with electrification, Meunier told Autos Community: “Stay tuned. You will hear some news in the coming months. Jeep is a global brand, and we are supposed to cover the whole range of SUVs – real SUVs, not high-riding hatchbacks.

“We are not 100 per cent built out yet, and we still have a few bullets in the bag.”

The Grand Cherokee combines a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors that produce a combined output of 375 hp and 470 lb-ft. It is equipped with a 17-kWh battery that provides a range of 32 miles in urban areas.

[metaslider id=”18626″]