Jeep will host its first ever 4xe Day on Thursday, September 8. At this event, the American off-road brand will make a series of announcements and updates on its electrification plans. Additionally, Jeep will also reveal the powertrain options for the upcoming Jeepster, which will be the smallest offering in Jeep's global line-up and sit below the Jeep Renegade. Jeep will also showcase some electric SUV concepts at the 4xe Day event, while the new Jeep Jeepster SUV will debut globally in October this year at the Paris Motor Show 2022.
- Jeep 4xe day will be held on September 8
- Jeepster to be smallest SUV by Jeep
- Jeep Grand Cherokee will launch in India this year
Jeep Jeepster: powertrains and platform
Ahead of the official announcement, we can confirm that the Jeep Jeepster SUV will come with full electric (BEV) and petrol mild-hybrid (MHEV) powertrains along with the brand’s electronic all-wheel drive (eAWD) on some variants, while front-wheel drive will remain standard on the EV and MHEV powertrain versions. While details are scarce on the EV powertrain, sources tell us that the MHEV version will come with a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol with mild-hybrid tech.
The upcoming Jeep Jeepster will sit on Stellantis’ second-generation eCMP / Common Modular Platform (CMP). The eCMP platform is a variant of the CMP, which is also used on the Citroen C3 in India.
Jeep Jeepster: design and interior
In March, Jeep revealed some teasers of the Jeepster’s exterior design language. It gets the trademark Jeep grille, which will be closed off on the electric model and house an ‘e’ logo to emphasise the model's electric credentials. The MHEV variant will also come with a closed off-grille and ventilation for the engine will be from the vents in the front bumper. The headlamps seem to have a split design, with the LED daytime running lamps (DRLs) positioned above the main headlamps.
In profile, the Jeepster gets pronounced wheel arches, a strong shoulder line and notable amounts of black body cladding to add to the SUV character. The rear has squared-off tail lamps with LED graphics, and the bumper also has a bunch of black body cladding and a faux skid plate.
The Jeepster's five seat inteiror will be feature laden, with many bits shared from other Stellantis models like the new Fiat 500 line-up and some Peugeot and Citroen offerings. The steering wheel and gear selector, especially for the MHEV manual version, will be similar to the Renegade while the digital instrument cluster and the 10.25-inch touchscreen will be shared with Fiat models.
Jeep 4xe tech: what is it
The 4xe is a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) along with all-wheel drive system that uses two electric motors where one is attached directly to the engine and the other is paired with the gearbox. The former is a 44hp, 33kW motor that aids the engine, while the latter is a 100kW, 134hp which is used to propel the vehicle on electric power alone. With a 17kWh battery, the system gets an electric-only range of up to 50km.
On front-wheel drive SUVs like the Renegade and Compass, the 4xe system has a 60hp electric motor that propels only the rear wheels. Combined power output is rated at 190hp or 240hp, depending on the setup. This will also be applied to the upcoming Jeepster.
Jeep’s current global 4xe line-up
Globally, the SUV manufacturer currently has four models in the 4xe line-up – Wrangler 4xe, Grand Cherokee 4xe, Compass 4xe and Renegade 4xe. The Wrangler and Grand Cherokee’s 4xe models are powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine paired with a couple of electric motors. The combined output is rated at 375hp and 637Nm.
On the other hand, the Compass 4xe gets a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine that puts out 190hp or 240hp, depending on the state of tune. The Compass 4xe gets all-wheel drive thanks to the rear-axle electric motor.
The Renegade 4xe comes in three trims – Longitude, Limited and Trailhawk. All three get an electric motor coupled with a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 270Nm of torque. However, while the Trailhawk gets 240hp, the other two trims get 190hp.
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Jeep Meridian launched in India at Rs 29.90 lakh