Fuel Economy

2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe misses EV range estimate by 16%, is less efficient than the V6

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Mar 23, 2021, 4:30 am

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe is not as fuel efficient as its counterparts.

Photo courtesy of Stellantis

Stellantis doesn't have many electrified vehicles in its U.S. portfolio. With the exception of the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, the closest thing that buyers could get to an electrified power plant up until this year was the mild-hybrid Ram engines. It doesn't help that they also have one of the least fuel efficient lineups out there as well.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe is upon us. It's a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that was said to allow for a Jeep-estimated 25 miles of all-electric range.

Jeep's estimates were off. Way off. Sixteen percent off. The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe only has 21 miles of all-electric range, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the governing body over the testing of these figures. It is good for 49 MPGe and 20 mpg. With gasoline and electric power combined, the SUV's range on a tank is 370 miles.

2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe delivers more horsepower and torque than other Wranglers. Photo courtesy of Stellantis

The Jeep's powertrain consists of an electric motor, 17- kilowatt-hour battery, eight-speed automatic transmission, and turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine working in unison. It delivers 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, which is only bested by the new Wrangler 392, which comes with a V8 under the hood that offers 470 horsepower.

Adding insult to injury, it can't go as far as other Wranglers on a single tank as well. The new fuel economy figures make the Wrangler 4xe less fuel efficient than the 2021 Jeep Wrangler two-door and the 2021 Jeep Wrangler four-door. All the models come standard with four-wheel drive and have an available eight-speed automatic transmission.

When equipped with the eight-speed automatic transmission, two-door gets 22 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway according to EPA estimates when equipped with a similar 2.0-liter turbo-four setup. The four-door, when equipped with the same power plant, gets 21 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. Their fuel tanks give the two- and four-door Wranglers 402 and 385 miles of range, respectively.

The Wrangler 4xe also isn't as efficient as the company's V6-powrered Wranglers. Those deliver 21 mpg combined in either two- our four-door formats. Drivers get access to 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque in both.

What's more, the Wrangler 4xe is one of the priciest Wranglers you can buy. It has a starting MSRP of $47,995.

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New Car

Redesigned 11th-generation Honda Civic breaks cover ahead of official debut

The 11th-generaiton Honda Civic Sedan has broken cover.

Photo courtesy of American Honda Motor Co.

Marie was a little bit country and Donny was a little bit rock and roll. The design of the redesigned 2022 Honda Civic Sedan looks a little bit modern and a little bit vintage - and it's all a heck of a lot less polarizing than the previous generation.

Today Honda has offered the first official fully lighted glimpse of the 11th-generation Civic, which is set to officially debut April 28. The design of the model was previewed last year with the Civic Prototype.

2022 Honda Civic Prototype The 2022 Honda Civic Prototype showed off a nearly production-ready design late last year. Photo courtesy of American Honda Motor Co., Inc

Honda openly admits that the look of the new Civic was inspired by the last. Head into the trove of internet photos of the fourth- and fifth-generation Civic to see parallels in design. Honda said that designers upheld Honda's human-centric design philosophy in the new model while also increasing the safety.

The result is a car that looks very much like a sedan but still retains sporty attributes. It also looks more like the Accord in this generation than the last. In the photo provided by Honda, the new Civic is in Touring trim level form.

Honda said that the car's interior design, which they haven't shown photos of yet, is "uncluttered", has "simple ergonomics", and delivers "exceptional visibility".

The 2022 Civic will arrive on dealership lots this summer.

Also this summer, the Honda Civic Tour will return for its 20th season. There will be two stops on the virtual tour that will be livestreamed on the Honda Stage YouTube channel. The first event will start at 5:00 p.m. PT, on April 28. The virtual concert event on Twitch will also give Civic Tour fans a special first look at the all-new 2022 Honda Civic Sedan around 6:00 p.m. PT, leading into the performance.

As previously announced, the all-new Civic Hatchback will follow Civic Sedan production by several months. Details about Civic Hatchback, to be manufactured by Honda in the United States for the first time in its history, will follow later this year. The Civic Hatchback will be built at the company's Indiana auto plant.

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Such a Tease

Lexus teases refreshed 2022 ES ahead of its April 18 reveal

The 2022 Lexus ES will debut next week.

Photo courtesy of Lexus

The meat and potatoes of the Lexus sedan lineup, the ES, is due for a refresh, and it will get one. The 2022 Lexus ES will be shown publicly for the first time this Sunday as part of the festivities of the Shanghai auto show.

While the photo doesn't tell a lot, there's some things you can bet on in the 2022 ES. For starters, look for all the improvements that the auto has gotten over the last two years to carry over into the new model. That includes the addition of all-wheel drive to the lineup and standard blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert.

The ES Black Line may not make its way to the 2022 version of the midsize sedan. Generally, blacked out editions are available only at the tail end of a model run ahead of a refresh or generational redesign. However, the blacked out elements could become available as part of a package.

The headlight photo that Lexus has offered as a teaser shows a housing that is not dissimilar to the one that the Lexus IS wears. However, the daytime running light is on the bottom here, instead off the top. Like the IS, there are strong hood lines.

At the back, the preview video shows a vehicle that is very similar to the current model. It's taillights, a strong chrome line that runs the width of the year, and rear lip spoiler all look mostly same as before.

As for what to expect underneath the body of the car, there's not a lot of indication from the teasers, which leads one to believe that's where the biggest changes are coming. There's a good chance that we'll finally say goodbye to the Lexus touch pad in favor of a touch screen display that's within a comfortable distance.

It's also likely that Lexus will fine tune the dynamics of the ES in a similar fashion to how the Lexus IS got more performance-focused driving dynamics in its latest redo.

Stay tuned for more specifics are the curtain is pulled back on April 19 in China (April 18 in the U.S.).

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