2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4Xe Trailhawk review

The Jeep Grand Cherokee holds a special place in the history of North America’s love affair with the SUV. It is descended from the original military Willys Jeep which spawned the love affair with utility vehicles being used for recreation or sport. In 1992 The Grand Cherokee pioneered the North American luxury SUV category with car-like road manners combined with rugged off-road capability. For 2024 jeep has diversified the Grand Cherokee and is now offering a plug-in hybrid version of the luxury SUV branded 4xe (pronounced 4 by e).
The hybrid powertrain in the Grand Cherokee consists of a turbocharged 2.0 litre gasoline engine paired with an electric motor which combines for an impressive total output of 375HP and 470 lb-ft of torque. All that power is shuttled through an eight speed automatic transmission and distributed to front and rear axles as dictated by Jeep’s Quadra Trac II full time 4×4 system. An electronic limited slip differential on the rear axle adds additional traction control to get power to wheels when slippage occurs.
Styling of the 2023 Grand Cherokee is a more restrained effort than in years gone by. Likely due to the current market requiring a bit more of a gentle hand in crafting a competitor to European and Asian SUV’s. Our test unit was a Trailhawk trim package that pays homage to the off-road reputation of the Jeep Brand. A reasonably conservative dark metallic blue paint scheme on our test vehicle was punctuated by hood mounted light blue decals and similarly coloured tow hooks that poked through the bumpers. Restyling of the front and rear lighting has created a thinner lighting profile that helps to streamline the look of the vehicle.
Inside the vehicle, although a large centre mounted touch screen to control the infotainment system dominates the dashboard landscape, a healthy amount of analog switch-gear runs the length of the centre console as it extends down from the dash. The functionality of the switches and knobs makes it easier to operate while driving than having to navigate screen menus. The gear selector is a large rotary knob on the console to the right of the driver, as such it falls easily to hand when needed. Adding to the excellent ergonomic design, an easy to grip, thick rimmed steering wheel houses many of the most commonly accessed functions a driver will need.
Overall, the interior carries through on the conservative, almost understated appearance with grey suede seats with leather trim and the same light blue edge stitching.
Interior room is impressive for a mid-sized SUV. Ample seating for five 6 foot tall occupants is accompanied by decent figure of around 1700 litres of rear cargo space.
In real world driving, the 4Xe Trailhawk rewards a full charge on the 17 kWh battery with about 42 kilometres of pure electric driving. In blended hybrid driving drivers can expect around 10L/100 kms. The fuel economy is impressive given the real world off road capability of the Trailhawk package.
Jeep’s approach to to blending the electrical and combustion output, appears to prioritize the electrical motors output off the line with the gasoline engine coming online shortly afterwards. The transition is noticeable with the engine noise puncturing the relative quiet of the electrical powertrain. The 4Xe pulls hard off the line 0-100 km/h times are reportedly around 5.5 seconds. The 4Xe also has a setting to maximize regenerative braking, similar to the one pedal driving option on full battery electric vehicles. Once the driver is able to get acclimatized to the braking effort applied after lifting off the accelerator, the system works well.
The semi adaptive air suspension fitted in our tester provides a wonderfully smooth ride. The ability to raise the vehicle up to 28.7 cm for ground clearance plus a maximum 61 cm clearance for navigating river beds or deep puddles. Overall, the ride is exceptionally refined and what one would expect from a luxury SUV. When you consider the breadth of capability this vehicle was engineered for, the level of comfort is impressive.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4Xe starts at $77,880. Our test vehicle came equipped with a pair of luxury and tech packages, rear entertainment system and a panorama sunroof, driving the “as tested” price up to $88,170. The level of comfort, power, technology and off-road capability, keeps the Grand Cherokee at the leading edge of premium SUVs, both in terms of status as well as utility.
For a full list of options and packages available on the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4Xe please visit the Jeep website.