Jeep detailed the First Edition variant of the plug-in hybrid Wrangler 4xe that it will launch in Europe in early 2021. While the package hasn’t been announced for America yet, we could see something like it here in the near future.
As is typically the case, the First Edition builds on the standard 4xe with a generous list of standard equipment and a handful of model-specific styling cues. Based on the 80th Anniversary edition, it gains every extra-cost option offered on the 4xe, including heated front seats and numerous electronic driving aids. Buyers will also receive a trunk organizer, a car cover, an extended five-year warranty, and a membership to the Jeep Wave loyalty program. Jeep is also throwing in a home charger and a cable to draw juice from public charging stations.
Black, Granite Crystal, and Bright White are the only options on the First Edition palette. Jeep points out they’re the three colors that European customers prefer. LED headlights, Granite Crystal accents, 18-inch wheels, and a hard cover for the spare tire are also found on the list of standard features. Inside, the launch model offers an 8.4-inch touchscreen with navigation, smartphone connectivity, and an information screen in the instrument cluster.
Jeep made no mechanical changes to the First Edition, so it’s powered by a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid powertrain that consists of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission. The system’s total output checks in at 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. It weighs nearly 5,000 pounds, yet it posts a six-second sprint from zero to 60 mph.
Significantly, the electronics (including the 17-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack) are fully protected from the elements. Like the non-hybrid Wrangler, the 4xe is capable of driving through up to 30 inches of water.
European motorists who want to explore the great outdoors in a Wrangler 4xe First Edition need to register their interest on a dedicated website before the middle of March. They’ll then be given the opportunity to buy the off-roader when sales begin before the summer of 2021. There’s no word yet on how many examples will be built. In France, Pricing starts at 71,700 euros (around $87,300) in France, 76,000 euros (about $92,500) in Germany, and 84,900 Swiss Francs (nearly $96,000) in Switzerland. Clearly, the Wrangler is a luxury car across the pond.
Jeep will launch the First Edition in France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Other markets will follow. We’ve reached out to the company to learn if America is one of them, and we’ll update this story if we learn more.
While the aforementioned dollar figures border on exorbitant, the standard 4xe should be cheaper, and going hybrid promises to make the Wrangler more accessible to buyers in European nations where emissions-based taxes increase a Wrangler’s price by 30% to 40%. For example, motorists in France need to add a 20,000-euro (almost $25,000) gas-guzzler tax to the price of an entry-level Wrangler powered by the 2.0-liter turbo four. Jeep charges 48,150 euros (about $58,600) for a base two-door Sport, so its base price checks in at approximately $83,000.
