Jeep Wrangler Plug-in Hybrid will be a Reality in 2020

The arrival of the Jeep Wrangler plug-in hybrid is imminent: if the rumors are true, we should see the specifications of the first hybrid SUV specialized in off-road use in the coming months, arriving at Jeep dealers throughout the next year. Does a plug-in hybrid make sense in a wild off-roader? How will the extra weight affect you? Or will it only be suitable for those looking for a robust all-rounder to show off their palm in the city?

Many questions still unresolved, but I think there are some that are quite obvious: I think that weight is essential in a car designed for driving off the road. The heavier it is, the more difficult it is to climb ramps, to overcome obstacles or to survive on difficult surfaces such as snow or fine sand. There is no more, that's how it is.

Now, obviously the push of the electric torque is interesting if what you are looking for is raw power to climb mountains. Well, we don't have the data yet, but we do know that the hybrid version of the Jeep Wrangler will arrive sooner rather than later and it will do so while keeping the rest of the versions with combustion engines, so the theory of 'looking like palm in the city' goes taking more strength. The auto lighting system Jeep Wrangler led headlights can improve the safety but also the price of the vehicle.
 
And it is that friends, the Jeep Wrangler is an icon and, especially in the US, it is a popular car in all areas, including purely urban use for day to day: there is no problem, gasoline is cheap. But the issue of pollution is a problem: surely many people will bet on this plug-in hybrid version of the Jeep Wrangler, which will predictably have about 50 km of purely electric autonomy.

Perhaps the biggest question about the hybrid Wrangler is how the extra weight of the batteries and the forceful delivery of torque will affect the wildest off-road driving. Without a doubt, it will be interesting to check it out. But beware, because if Jeep does this it is not only to improve its performance and efficiency, it does so for a question of brand image.

The electrification of Jeep will be very progressive and it doesn't take a lynx to see how this particular brand and the FCA Group in general are a little behind when it comes to electrified vehicles. Today practically all brands already have hybrid or electric vehicles and Jeep has to put the batteries to meet its objective: 2020 will be its key year in this regard.

And it is that Jeep is expected to launch several electrified models, such as the Jeep Renegade PHEV or the Jeep Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrid. But if there is a mythical model in its range, that is the Wrangler and that will be the visible head and the example to follow in the electrification of Jeep.

We still have a lot of data to know, but it is a peace of mind that Jeep maintains diesel engines in its range, which in a car like this match perfectly due to their great torque, their efficiency and their reliability. We'll see what happens to the two-liter turbocharged 272 hp gasoline engine: perhaps that is the basis on which they will add the electricity? With an approved average consumption of 11.5 liters, perhaps the word efficiency does not go with it.

In any case, many doubts are still on the table, but with the assurance that the Jeep Wrangler PHEV will not be one of the cheapest SUVs, but one of the most interesting next year. We will see how much the consumption figure reduces, what its autonomy will be and, above all, if it affects its off-road behavior. Putting in weight is never good news, we will see if Jeep is able to survive electricity and evolve a concept in which they have no margin for error. The Wrangler is a myth and you can't play with myths.