2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Two-Row Arrives In Electrified 4xe Form — Here’s What Else Has Changed: News

The 4xe adds in 25 miles of pure-electric driving range

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe has arrived — and you can opt for it in Trailhawk spec, of course. (Images: Jeep)

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee brings a host of changes to the table.

We’ve had the three-row Grand Cherokee L out for a few months now, but this two-row is what many folks have been waiting for. Not only does it bring the same tech upgrades as its bigger brother, but this model brings in Jeep’s 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain and the off-road-focused Trailhawk model. Even better, you can get the two together in the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe.

Let’s start with what’s under the hood, in fact. Opt for the 4xe, and you’ll pick up a powertrain similar to what’s in the Wrangler. That mates a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine to a 100 kW electric motor. Both work together, aided by a 17.3-kWh battery pack, to make 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. The Grand Cherokee 4xe’s all-electric driving range is also similar to the Wrangler’s, at 25 miles on a charge. That said, if you’d prefer to stick with internal combustion alone, you’ll get two other familiar, but updated options. The 3.6-liter Pentastar carries on its legacy as the backbone of the lineup, putting out 293 horsepower. For a bit more muscle, there’s the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 (yes, it’s still here!), with 357 horsepower.

4xe models can tow up to 6,000 pounds, while the V8-powered models can tow up to 7,200 pounds.

Trailhawk is back, and better

One of the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s biggest assets is its ability to blend both the comforts of a family SUV with some serious off-road capability. That extends throughout the range, as you can still get Jeep’s Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II systems depending on which trim you select, as well as Quadra-Lift air suspension on the top three trims. The pinnacle of that capability, though, lies in the Trailhawk trim.

On that model, you get the most advanced Quadra-Drive II system (which is also standard on Summit and optional as part of the Off-Road Group on Overland), and with the air suspension the V6 and V8-equipped Trailhawks manage up to 11.3 inches of ground clearance. Trailhawk 4xe models, as with the standard models, can adjust up to 10.9 inches of clearance. That’s still far more than the Laredo or Limited without air suspension, as they’re fixed at 8.4 inches.

It’s not just the air suspension that sets the Trailhawk apart, either. It also comes with an electronic sway bar disconnect like the Wrangler Rubicon, so that will help for better wheel articulation. As you’d expect, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk also comes equipped with beefier all-terrains, more underbody armor, recovery hooks, an electronic limited-slip differential and bespoke drive modes on the Selec-Terrain system.

Approach angles on the most off-road worthy model stack up to 35.7 degrees, while breakover is at 24.4 degrees and departure comes in at 30.2 degrees. At the highest setting, Jeep says the new Grand Cherokee can ford up to 24 inches of water. Now, the Trailhawk 4xe doesn’t quite meet the same measurements thanks to the heavier powertrain, but it’s still the second most capable model out of the updated lineup.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve is the top trim, and it pulls out all the stops with luxurious styling and tons of tech.

Tech galore inside

If you’ve seen the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L or indeed the Wagoneer, than you have a good idea what’s coming here. To the uninitiated, here’s a primer. Designers pretty much overhauled every part of the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and that especially shows with its interior. The top-end Summit trim, in particular, gets wood trim, plenty of leather and all the tech you can throw at this sort of SUV. The central infotainment display brings in Stellantis’ Uconnect 5 infotainment system through a 10.1-inch display. Not only that, but the passenger also gets their own 10.25-inch display on the top-end models, and you can get two 10.1-inch rear displays as well.

While the swanky Summit and Summit Reserve — with available oak and walnut interior accents, respectively — exemplify the luxuriousness you can get with the Grand Cherokee, the lower trims haven’t been left out either. You can still get the 4xe in four trims (Limited, Trailhawk, Overland and Summit). The base models come in five base trims (the same four as the 4xe, plus the Laredo and Altitude), with the Summit Reserve as a capstone package.

2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee safety features

Standard safety equipment includes full-speed collision warning and active braking, rear cross-path detection, adaptive cruise control, active lane management, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, ParkSense rear parking sensors, and advanced brake assist. If you’re aiming for the higher trims, though, you can also get a night vision camera, for a start. Intersection collision assist is also available, as is a drowsiness detection system, parallel and perpendicular park assist, and a 360-degree camera system. Finally, Jeep says its new Active Driving Assist — a Level 2 hands-on, eyes-on semi-autonomous system — is also available in the new two-row Grand Cherokee.

Pricing and availability

V6 and V8 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee models will arrive in showrooms later this year. The 4xe, on the other hand, won’t arrive until early 2022, with global markets seeing the plug-in hybrid later on in the year.

As for pricing and fuel economy, we should get more specifics closer to the formal launch. If anything, expect the new Grand Cherokee to get at least a slight price bump to start.

Check out more in our reveal video on TFLnow below: