Refreshed Wrangler gets
new plug-In hybrid option

By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(November 23, 2023) It has been more than 20 years since the iconic Jeep Wrangler first launched the "Rubicon" edition on what is essentially a factory-built off-road specialty vehicle. The Rubicon is named after the Rubicon river trail located in California's historic gold rush territory west of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada's.

The historic trail has an extreme rating for a reason. Should you decide to source the 22-mile experience you must have a green park sticker, a spark arrestor installed, a first aid kit, 33-inch tires — and know that at a minimum your vehicle will get damaged and there's a nearly 100% chance you will get stuck.

With that knowledge, the "Rubicon" ready Wrangler regarded as the most capable factory off-roader ever built is also — surprisingly — incredibly civil as a daily commuter on paved roads in urban and suburban settings. And now, for the first time, the Rubicon is offered as a respectable plug-in-hybrid known as 4xe (pronounced "four by E") that pairs with 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine and a 14.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack electric motor for a combined output of 375 horsepower.

Plug-in to charge, and the 4xe will travel a trifling 22-mile electric range only before switching over to the gas-powered combustion engine and a not so pleasing combined fuel economy. Our weeklong test driving returned a dismal 16.9-MPG combined.



Still, we were surprised to learn the 4xe is the bestselling plug-in hybrid vehicle in the United States with nearly four out of 10 Wrangler buyers choosing the hybrid. There are no direct competitors to the 4xe including the Ford Bronco.

While not for everyone, few vehicles we've tested return the pure driving joy of a Wrangler even with its numerous drawbacks beyond fuel economy including an extremely noisy cabin on the highway, minimum driver and passenger room in the cabin, an odd brake feel, vague steering, unimpressive crash test ratings, and no bargain on the window sticker. But those enthusiasts who love the Jeep brand will quickly look past the shortcomings because of the numerous reasons they are so popular.



Seats are leather upholstered with 12-way adjustment and yes they can survive when underwater fording with the doors off. There's new updates for 2024 including the available Warn Winch ($1,995), new tech featuring Uconnect 5 navigation with a 12.3 touchscreen display, integrated off-road cameras, power retracting top ($3,295), and Alpine premium audio system. In fact, you can go completely buck-wild with unlimited off-road upgrades.

Overall, this is the perfect vehicle for those who want the looks and off-road capability with the quiet driving experience of an electric vehicle (albeit short) and all the attributes of a Jeep. Know that all this goodness doesn't come cheap but on the bright side, it enjoys among the highest resale values of any production vehicle on the market.

Vital Stats

2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X 4xe
Base Price: $60,585
Price as Tested: $76,935
Engine: 2.0-liter, turbocharged 4, paired with an electric-hybrid motor
Horsepower: 375
EPA Fuel Economy: 49 MPGe combined city/hwy, 20 MPG combined city/hwy gasoline
Seating: 6 passengers

Fab Features:
Superb off-road capability
As close as an all-electric Jeep you can get
Eye-Candy good looks