2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4xe test drive review

While you wait for Jeep to release an all-electric SUV, the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe (pronounced four-by-e) can simulate what that might be like. That’s because Jeep’s luxe plug-in hybrid SUV is capable of running on electricity alone — at least for about 25 miles. Though it’s mainly geared toward off-roaders who want a more luxurious experience than what the Wrangler offers, KSL Cars got special permission to take the Overland 4xe on a 1,400-mile excursion to test its chops as a road trip vehicle. As you might expect, there were things we liked and things that made us scratch our heads. Check out Grand Cherokees

Price and Value 

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe comes in five trims, with an MSRP range of $62,095 for the base-level 4xe to $77,470 for the top-tier Summit Reserve 4xe trim. Each trim comes with four-wheel drive, an 8-speed automatic transmission and a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 plug-in hybrid engine. Some of the major differences in trim levels are noted below. 

• 4xe: $62,095 See listings

18-inch wheels

8.4-inch touch screen display

Heated front and second-row seats

• Trailhawk 4xe: $65,655 See listings

10.1-inch touch screen display

Front and rear tow hooks

Ventilated front seats

• Overland 4xe: $68,275 See listings

20-inch wheels

Upgraded exterior lighting

Hands-free liftgate

• Summit 4xe: $72,595 See listings

Four-zone automatic climate control

Massaging front seats

Integrated off-road camera

• Summit Reserve 4xe: $77,470 See listings

21-inch wheels

19-speaker McIntosh audio system

Premium Palermo leather seats

Our tester was the Overland 4xe. With options like the Luxury Tech Group IV package, the Advanced Protech Group III package, the Off-Road Group, black painted roof and the passenger display screen, the total price was $75,305. Some of our favorite features — such as the massaging Nappa leather seats, digital rear-view mirror and four-zone automatic temperature control — were included in the $2,155 Luxury package, so we’d keep that. Doing without the other extras could’ve kept the price to just under $70,000. Factoring in the $7,500 tax credit, that brings the actual price down further. Is the 4xe worth the price difference from the regular Grand Cherokee? Potentially. You’ll just have to be strategic about how you use that hybrid engine on and off the road.

Performance 

Though we never got to stretch its off-road muscles, our Grand Cherokee 4xe still impressed us with its punchy hybrid engine on the road. The handling felt a little tight at times, but getting around in our Overland 4xe tester was a pleasant experience overall. 

Engine and drivetrain

Fans of the Wrangler 4xe will be happy to know that the Grand Cherokee 4xe carries the same powertrain. The 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 plug-in hybrid engine (try saying that 10 times fast) puts out 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. That made it pretty fun to punch off the line. The 8-speed automatic transmission seemed to shift through the gears fairly smoothly as well. See Grand Cherokee listings

Just to the left of the Grand Cherokee 4xe steering wheel, you’ll find three different engine modes to choose from: Hybrid, eSave and Electric. That means you don’t have to be in Hybrid mode all the time — you can save your battery juice or run solely on electric miles if you’re all charged up. Since most of our driving was on the highway, we stayed in Hybrid and took advantage of the regenerative braking that sent power back to the battery.

Fuel economy 

The Grand Cherokee 4xe has about 25 miles of all-electric range. With a fully-charged battery, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that you’ll get 56 mpg-e for combined highway and city driving. When you’re running solely on gas, that drops to 23 mpg. Since we were mostly driving on the highway, we averaged 25 mpg. 

Acceleration and handling 

Given the extra heft from the hybrid engine, this car accelerates at an impressive rate. Car and Driver tested the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe and found that it accelerated from 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds. The handling does feel a bit heavy at times but not burdensome. 

Braking 

We learned through a handful of close calls on our long drive just how responsive the braking system was. At least once, the brakes saved us in an abrupt traffic stop on the highway that would have otherwise resulted in a fender bender. Safety aside, hitting the brakes also sent power back to our battery thanks to the regenerative braking feature. Though this didn’t significantly affect our fuel economy in the long run, it probably added a few extra miles to the tank.

Interior comfort and convenience 

Thanks to adaptive air suspension, Nappa leather seats and a host of other convenience features, the upscale Grand Cherokee Overland 4xe delivered a fairly smooth ride. That’s a challenging feat for any vehicle toting a young family of four over 1,400 miles, but our tester was up to the task.

Seats

If there’s one thing that made our multi-state journey more enjoyable, it can be summed up in two words: massaging seats. In addition to being heated and ventilated, the front two seats can also give you a nice back rub when sitting for a while begins to take a toll. Good move, Jeep. As far as seating capacity goes, the Grand Cherokee 4xe can comfortably seat four adults or five passengers total.

Climate control 

We were grateful for the Grand Cherokee 4xe’s four-zone climate control, which helped our kids doze off for a much needed nap — even though they rarely sleep in cars. Though we mostly drove in colder weather, the few times we had to crank the air conditioner, it did not disappoint. 

Cargo space and cabin storage 

Jeep deserves a round of applause for designing a plug-in hybrid that doesn’t sacrifice cargo space for the battery. With the second-row seats up, we had 37.7 cubic feet of cargo space in the back to store all of our luggage and travel essentials for our four-day trip. Even with extra coolers and bags full of food in the second row, our kids had more than enough legroom and space to store their toys for the long drive.

Infotainment system 

No matter which Grand Cherokee 4xe you’re driving, you’ll get a 10.1-inch infotainment touch screen up front that comes with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto capability, USB ports, Wi-Fi capability and satellite radio. As a novelty, Jeep also includes a smaller interactive display screen on the passenger side. This touch screen allows the passenger to look up directions, listen to music via Bluetooth headphones and check out different camera angles without disturbing the main 10.1-inch center screen. 

If you’re hoping to watch any videos in the co-pilot chair, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got the rear seat entertainment system as well. Our Overland 4xe tester didn’t come with rear seat media, so this wasn’t an option. To be honest, the passenger screen wasn’t overly exciting without it.

Exterior appearance and functionality 

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4xe makes a great first impression with its sleek lines, boxy Jeep exterior and luxurious black Nappa leather interior. The main features that distinguish the 4xe from a regular Grand Cherokee are the front blue towing hooks and other eye-catching blue 4xe accents. Find a Grand Cherokee for sale

Wheels 

The all-season/all-terrain tires sat on 18-inch wheels and provided excellent traction on the roads,  including icy, slippery conditions. Given that this was made for driving off the beaten path, that wasn’t surprising.

Lights and turn signals

On both the interior and exterior of the Overland 4xe, you have lights galore. LED headlamps and taillights gave us a perfectly illuminated view of the road at night while proximity-sensing keyless entry, door-handle approach lamps and puddle lamps made it easy to climb in and out in the dark. The LED turn signals functioned just as expected.

Front and rear windshield 

The acoustic front windshield was a nice feature for keeping road noise at a minimum. And since the rear windshield was obscured by all of our luggage, the digital rear-view camera was a lifesaver for keeping track of what was behind us.

Cameras and side mirrors 

As we were driving 11 hours through day and night conditions over several state lines, visibility was key. Thankfully, the 360-degree surround-view cameras and side mirrors on the Overland 4xe gave us a clear view of the road and our blind spots. If you want to see better in the dark, this Jeep also comes with available Night Vision, which uses thermographic technology and infrared sensors to scan and detect pedestrians and animals that might be up to 328 feet ahead of you. 

Safety 

After putting many of the Overland 4xe’s safety features to the test over 1,400 miles, we’re happy to report they work. Though we initially criticized the Active Driving Assist feature for being a little too touchy, the sensitive features came to the rescue when a car drifted into our lane. The automatic braking immediately kicked in, helping us avoid a potential collision. Despite heavy holiday traffic and inclement driving conditions, the hybridized Grand Cherokee safely carried our family of four across four different states — and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Features 

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4xe comes with an assortment of standard safety features you’d expect to find in a newer vehicle along with a few extras. These include:

• Automatic emergency braking

• Forward-collision warning

• Blind-spot monitoring

• Rear cross-traffic alert

• Adaptive cruise control

• Surround-view camera

• Night vision

Awards and ratings 

Jeep is proud of the fact that the Grand Cherokee is “the most awarded SUV ever.” The 4xe version is beginning to pick up its own accolades. The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe won the Overall, Electrified Utility Vehicle and Mid- and Full-Size Family categories at the 2022 Northwest Automotive Press Association Mudfest competition. According to the Stellantis auto blog, that’s the first time in 27 years that a vehicle has won all of those categories. 

At the time of this writing, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe has not yet received a safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Final impression 

With a variety of plug-in hybrid SUV options out there and many different Jeep models to satisfy both the off-road and daily driving crowd, the Overland 4xe caters to basically two types of drivers. You’ll love this car if you have a short daily commute and want to save trips to the pump by keeping it charged. Off-road enthusiasts looking for a little more rugged luxury will also enjoy hopping behind the wheel. As a road trip car, it certainly delivered on safety and comfort. In terms of fuel efficiency, you might as well opt for a regular gas-powered vehicle if you plan on regularly traversing long distances.

FAQs 

What is the electric range for the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe? 

The Grand Cherokee 4xe has approximately 25 miles of pure electric range.

How often should you charge it and how long does it take?

If you have a standard wall outlet and want to avoid filling up the gas tank, you’ll probably want to plug it in immediately when you get home as it takes about 12 hours to reach a full charge on a Level 1 charger. If you have a Level 2 charger, it only takes about two hours to fully charge.

Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe worth the price?

A regular Jeep Grand Cherokee starts at $38,720 while the 4xe version starts at $62,095. J.D. Power estimates that the average American family spends about $5,000 on fuel each year, which means you’ll make up the price difference in about four years if you keep it charged and mostly drive in electric mode. Keep in mind that you also may be eligible for up to $7,500 in federal tax credits, along with other state and local incentives.

To find a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe or other plug-in hybrid SUVs, visit KSL Cars.

KSL Cars does not endorse any vehicles. The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views or opinions of KSL.com or its employees.