Electric Wrangler concept revealed

Jeep hits the electric trail with a design study that mixes battery-pure drive with a manual transmission.

 A FULLY electric Wrangler is among concepts Jeep has revealed ahead of an annual brand event in the United States where it traditionally serves up concepts of potential production fare.

The Magneto, if brought into the showroom, would conceivably place as the next-step alternate to a plug-in hybrid Wrangler, the 4xe, that the maker already avails to its customers as an introduction to electric-assisted driving.

That product is restricted to North America so though Jeep’s New Zealand distributor has previously expressed some broad interest in taking an alternate to the purely fossil fuel-reliant range it offers, it also accepts that cannot occur until the battery-assisted programme includes right hand drive.

The Jeep Magneto features a solitary electric motor that generates 210kW and 370Nm of torque, powered by a 70kWh battery. The battery capacity is split up into four separate units mounted around the vehicle’s body to keep weight balanced and help off-road performance.

Jeep’s 2021 concepts are, from left, the Red Bare, the Magneto, Jeepster Beach and Orange Peelz

This output should mean the Magneto can sprint from 0-100kmh in 6.8 seconds, according to Jeep’s claims. The brand hasn’t published a figure for the Magneto’s range, it’s conjected such a battery system should allow for around 338 kilometres between charges.

Unusually for an electric vehicle, the Magneto features a six-speed manual gearbox. Jeep says the system is being set up for the motor to collect regenerated power as the driver eases off the accelerator when the clutch is engaged.

The Jeep Magneto was one of four concepts revealed ahead of the traditional Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, which starts on March 27 and runs until April 4.

The other concepts – the Jeep Red Bare, Jeep Orange Peelz and Jeepster Beach - and are a mixture of modern and traditional.

The first is cast in the mould of an ultra-rugged edition, with V6 turbodiesel power. The Peelz is more about turning heads; this concept does away with the side and rear windows, and uses prototype JPP half doors and a removable one-piece glass sunroof. The Beach, meanwhile, is a homage to a 1968 car that was a classic in the US, the C101 Commando. It runs a modified 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 255kW and 500Nm of torque, about 25 percent more power than the production version of that engine.

New Grand Cherokee purely petrol

Gone are the days of the diesel-powered big Jeep wagon.

 PURELY petrol power, ultimately with hybrid assistance – but no diesel. 

That’s the drivetrain story for the next generation of Jeep’s Grand Cherokee.

 The brand’s global boss has related this to media in Australia during a briefing in which Christian Meunier also said the new model will be in this neighbourhood around August.

 It’s initially in the seven-seat Grand Cherokee L format that the brand unveiled on January 7 but followed in time by a smaller version replicating the current five-chair formula.

The only engine that will avail for some time is the carryover 3.6-litre 'Pentastar' petrol V6, which in US-spec guise is good for 216kW of power and 350Nm of torque.

A plug-in hybrid Grand Cherokee '4xe' offering a boost of torque via electric assistance is due in 2022, although details of that driveline are yet to be confirmed by Jeep.

And rumours persist that Jeep will still format future product in V8 petrol SRT form. 

But the days of drawing from the dark side of the forecourt are over.

The current 3.0-litre diesel V6, sourced from VM Motori and making 184kW/ 570Nm, won’t continue on – a blow, undoubtedly, to NZ customers, who heavily favoured it unless they were buying into the SRT formula.

Meunier told Aussie media Jeep is hellbent on becoming a market leader in electrified SUVs – a comment that very much suggests that where Grand Cherokee is going, all other products that presently offer with diesel might also be expected to follow.

 He asserts customers will love having a Grand Cherokee without compression ignition, saying the incoming engines will continue the tradition of providing plenty of power and that the hybrid will be good at towing.

“Towing is core to Jeep, so we wouldn’t compromise on it; we’ve tested Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4XE. Towing is at least as good as with an ICE engine,” Australian website Practical Motoring reports him as saying. 

He enforces electrification is not just about lowering emissions.  

“With electrification on products like Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, we’re able to deliver more capability off-road, more fun to drive, strong towing capacity, strong torque, and eco-friendly technology. So we believe that’s the perfect world for Jeep. 

“To also be able to drive on electric-only for commuting is hell of an experience and we strongly believe in it. So we’re very, very committed to electrification.” 

Jeep is not alone in placing hybrid, and specifically plug-in hybrid tech, to the large SUV and off-road segments. Range Rover has had a PHEV model in the market for more than a year. Also, the replacement for Toyota’s venerable Land Cruiser 200 Series is dropping V8 turbodiesel oomph for petrol V6 and petrol V6 hybrid drivetrains.  

The Jeep announcement ends a week that began with the official completion of the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA, into a 14-brand Stellantis supergroup.

The repercussion, if any, on distributor agreements in New Zealand for the Stellantis brands that come here has not been explained.

Ateco Group - which represents Jeep, Chrysler, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and RAM – and Autodistributors NZ (which has Peugeot, DS and Citroen) – have been silent on the matter.

Gen five Jeep Grand Cherokee revealed

New ‘L’ model is the first to offer third row seating.

SEATING for six or seven passengers across three rows, at least two powertrain options, three different drive systems, air suspension and loads of new technology.

Those are among highlights of a Jeep that has been the longest-time coming, a new Grand Cherokee. 

The fifth generation car, called the Grand Cherokee L, has been revealed today in the United States, with comment about New Zealand market provision and launch timing yet to come from distributor Ateco, though on that front talk is that Australia will see it around August-September. By that time, Fiat Chrysler will have been subsumed into a new marriage, with Peugeot parent PSA, under the Stellantis brand name. 

Codenamed 'WL75', the Grand Cherokee L is expected to be sold alongside the current five-seater WK2 Grand Cherokee that has been on sale here since 2011.

Remarkably, the WK2 is expected to slog on for another two years, according to overseas’ reports, before it also switches to the L’s all-new unibody platform.

However, in the interim, it’s likely Jeep will also produce the properly new model in a five-seat format. That edition is expected to go into production before the end of 2021, offering first in North America, which will also be the first candidate for a plug-in hybrid variant.

Jeep and parent Fiat Chrysler are emphasising that the information availed internationally today is specific to North America; more information about international plans will be delivered in due course.

Americans see the Grand Cherokee L in Laredo, Limited, Overland and Summit trims, the latter also reaching to a extra-spiffy Summit Reserve package that puts it on super-sized 21 inch rims (Overland and Summit are on 20s, the others on 18s) and adds glam trimmings Jeep admits are as unsited to off-roading as those big hoops.

The general shape has been inspired by the Grand Wagoneer luxury SUV, revealed late last year in concept form.

Powertrain options for the American market initially restrict to the 216kW/350Nm 3.6-litre 'Pentastar' V6 and 266kW/530Nm 5.7-litre Hemi V8 petrol engines.

The new platform is said to be stronger and lighter than the fourth-generation WK2 Grand Cherokee, with more than 60 percent of the body comprising high-strength steel.

Off-road hardware comes in three varieties, ranging from a single-speed transfer case up to a 2.72:1 low-range reduction and rear electronic limited-slip differential.

There is more off-road ground clearance and water fording capability compared with previous generations, and Jeep’s own ‘Quadra-lift' air suspension is touted to return, joined by adaptive dampers to improve on-road and off-road dynamics.

The Quadra-lift system will also improve off-road ground clearance through an adjustable ride height, with up to 277mm in its highest mode.

A 36mm wider wheel track will improve the stance of the Grand Cherokee L, as well as benefitting off-road stability.

Grand Cherokee L safety technologies include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a reversing camera and a 360-degree camera.

The model has a digital rear view mirror, 10.25-inch digital instrument display, 10-inch infotainment display, heads-up display and up to twelve USB-A and USB-C power outlets.

 The 10-inch screen runs FCA's Android Automotive-based Uconnect 5 infotainment system, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 19-speaker sound system.