After getting the automobile fraternity excited at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, Jeep has finally revealed the details regarding Jeep Compass 4xe and Renegade x4e, which happens to be the company's first electrified vehicle in the world.
The Compass 4xe and Renegade 4xe are expected to be launched in Europe sometime around September 2020.
Jeep Compass 4xe: Things worth talking about
Powertrains
The Compass Plug-in-hybrid vehicle will get a 1.3L petrol engine, based on the engine tuning opted for, it gives a power output of 130 PS (offered with ‘Limited’ variant) or 180 PS (offered with ‘Trailhawk’ and ‘S’ trim) and 270 Nm of torque. This turbo-charged petrol engine unit comes mated to a couple of electric motors, one of which is placed on the rear axle, to equip 4xe range with four-wheel drive potential.
The electric motor on the rear axle is capable of producing 60 PS of power and 250 Nm of torque. 1.3L turbocharged engine works in conjunction with the two electric motors producing combined power figures of 190 PS and 240 PS (depends on tuning state in which petrol engine is being opted)
These electric motors draw power from a 11.4 kWh battery which in turn is recharged through regenerative braking. The transmission duties are being performed by a 6-speed automatic transmission and the car boasts of a fully electric range of 50 kilometres.
Acceleration and Top speed details
The 4xe range can achieve a top speed of 130 kmph in electric-only mode and this number further shoots up to 200 kmph on hybrid mode.
The electrified SUVs boast of great acceleration figures of 0-100 kmph in just 7.5 seconds.
Charging Time
There are a couple of charging options available with the 4xe range. While the normal charging option (2.3 kW domestic socket) takes 5 hours to juice up the battery completely, the 7.4 kW easyWallbox charger will provide the convenience of recharging the battery from 0 to 100% in just 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Multiple driving terrain options available
Like all the other Jeeps, the 4xe range will get different driving terrain options like auto, snow mud, sand and rock. To cope up well with these challenging rough terrains, the 4WD lock, 4WD low and hill descent control functions will be continued to offer even with the hybrid range. As a plus over other Jeep cousins, Compass and Renegade 4xe will get Sports mode for enhanced throttle response and better handling.
Three Drive modes on offer
The 4xe vehicles get a total of three drive modes – Hybrid, Electric and E-save.
- In Hybrid mode, the Electric motor and the 1.3 L turbocharged petrol engine will be working in conjunction.
- Electric mode means that the car will run solely on the 11.4 kWh battery and as mentioned before it can provide the range of somewhere around 50 kilometres in a single charge.
- E-save mode is meant to recharge the battery through regenerative braking, the car meanwhile will solely depend on 1.3L petrol engine for power delivery.
Features
The compass 4xe gets almost all the features of its internal-combustion version. It includes an 8.4-inch touchscreen Uconnect infotainment system, power-adjustable driver seat, cruise control, engine start/stop and many more.
Offered with these trims
The hybrid range being offered by the Jeep will be available with the ‘Limited’, ‘Trailhawk’ and ‘S’ trims
The models will get blue highlights elements to distinguish them from their conventional petrol/diesel models. These trims will also get a special 4xe badging signifying their green operations.
Will it come to India?
As disappointing as it may sound, it will be wise to believe that the 4xe range will not hit the Indian dealerships, at least not any time soon. The primary and perhaps the only reason will be an extra premium price tag, such a comprehensively loaded technology package will come at the cost of some heavy bucks and the majority of Indian buyers will not fancy spending such a great fortune for them.
Author’s Take
The hybrid and electric vehicles are the need of the hour. The environment has surely taken an impacted hit with the ever rising harmful emissions from traditional fuels. The fact that these resources are getting depleted at a great rate further advocates the need of application of energy sources like electricity.
This step, thus surely comes as a welcome move especially considering the fact that Jeep is a popular global brand and such initiatives taken up by these prominent brands will ensure that greener fuel sources completely able to eradicate the need for use of conventional petrol and diesel.
