Jeep has confirmed that two concept vehicles, one of which will be a “4xe electrified Jeep SUV”, will headline the upcoming the Easter Jeep Safari.
Due to be held for the 56th time from April 9 to 17, the Easter Jeep Safari brings together Jeep owners and enthusiasts for nine days of trail climbing and rock-crawling at the Red Rock 4-Wheelers-hosted event in the Moab desert. In previous years, Jeep and parent company Stellantis have showcased their latest prototypes: last year for example featured the conceptual debuts of the ‘Gladiator Farout,’ the ‘Gladiator Top Dog,’ and the ‘Wrangler Rubicon 392.’
Jeep SUV 4xe concept headed to 2022 Moab
Few details regarding the two upcoming concepts have been revealed though, bar two teaser images from Jeep Performance Parts, the brand’s official and hardcore aftermarket supplier.
The first teaser again appears to be based on the Gladiator and looks to “breaks the code for the performance enthusiast.” This more rugged concept looks to follow the likes of the Wrangler Rubicon 4xe, a model that took overall victory at last year’s Rebelle Rally.
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe
The second, the 4xe concept, is predicted to “electrify both on- and off-pavement adventures” but also “conquer even the most tumultuous terrain along the backcountry trails of Moab.” Given the slick headlamp design, aggressively flared wheel arches and sculpted bonnet that appear in the teaser image, the concept might well be a more dynamic version of the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe.
The Trailhawk 4xe was the second of five specifications of the all-new 2022 Grand Cherokee 4xe launched last year, the first time Jeep’s now three-decade old SUV had featured an electrified powertrain. Upon its launch, the Grand Cherokee 4xe joined plug-in hybrid versions of the Compass, the Renegade and the Wrangler as part of Jeep’s ever-growing PHEV model series.
Dubbed “the most off-road capable of the Grand Cherokee 4xe lineup”: so confident was Jeep in the PHEV capabilities of the Trailhawk 4xe, one of the model’s first big tests was running the 35 km Rubicon Trail in California on nothing but electric propulsion.
Jeep concept image
Though Jeep has confirmed the 4xe concept will represent the “brand’s vision of accomplishing Zero Emission Freedom”, unsurprisingly, few technical details have been revealed. If the concept does prove to be a more rugged concept of the Trailhawk 4xe though, it’s likely to share the same propulsion system, which combines a 375 hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with a 400-volt battery pack and two electric motors. Collectively, the latter adds 40 km of, yep, all-electric “Zero Emission Freedom.”
Other highlights of the Trailhawk 4xe include a two-speed transfer case, 10.9 inches of additional ground clearance, 24 inches of water fording capability, and, interestingly, blue tow hooks, which also appear in the accompanying teaser image.
