Jeep’s marketing team is putting its best efforts into getting at least some attention for the Wrangler in the week when the off-roader finally gets a direct competitor. Just a few hours before the new Ford Bronco’s debut yesterday, Jeep introduced the Rubicon 392 Concept with a V8 engine, and shortly after that, a report emerged that it could actually go into production. Now that the Bronco is out, Jeep is striking back again with a new teaser video.
The short 15-second clip at the top of this page flew under the radar yesterday but it’s now making waves previewing the future production plug-in hybrid Wrangler. It shows a Wrangler PHEV riding through a beautiful scenery being “so quiet it won’t disturb naptime” of a horse.
See The Spy Photos:
The plug-in version of the off-roader first appeared in January this year when a prototype was displayed at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show. At the time, the automaker announced it will release more specific details about the electrified Wrangler later in 2020 and what better time for another preview than now.
In the video, Jeep is not revealing any other details than the vehicle's official name - the Wrangler 4xe, and that it’s “coming soon.” At this point, we don’t know much about what’s hiding underneath the familiar-looking body but sources suggest the PHEV system will use the Wrangler’s existing 3.6-liter V6. The electrification part of the equation will reportedly sit in a protected area under the vehicle between the exhaust and the driveshaft.
We also don’t know whether Jeep will offer the PHEV powertrain only for the four-door model or the tech would also be available on the two-door Wrangler. Since the Gladiator pickup is so mechanically similar to the Wrangler and also comes from the same plant, the truck could conceivably get the hybrid system, but Jeep isn't discussing the prospect yet.
Source: Jeep
