[Auto] Jeep Wrangler Hybrid Gets Starting Price Near $50,000

[HiTLeR]

 

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid is already rolling off assembly lines, and expected to reach dealerships in the first quarter of 2021. And when it does, it will be the most expensive Wrangler yet. However, tax incentives will help make that price manageable for some buyers.

 

The Wrangler 4ex uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, combined with an electric motor mounted to the transmission (unlike most electric cars, which use motors mounted directly to the front and rear axles). The combination is good for the equivalent of up to 50 mpg in combined driving. The Wrangler 4ex can also go up to 25 miles on electric power alone. It is available only as a four-door.

 

The Wrangler PHEX comes in two trim levels. The base model Sahara costs $49,940 (with destination charges included). For the more upscale Rubicon, Jeep asks $53,190.

Those prices look, at first, like a significant increase from the non-hybrid model. Each asks about $9,000 more than its gasoline-equivalent. But each also includes several thousand dollars worth of equipment that is optional on their gasoline-only equivalents, bringing the final price closer together.

 

The Wrangler hybrids will also be available with a $7,500 federal tax credit. That credit declines as a manufacturer sell more hybrid vehicles, eventually disappearing. But, since this is Jeep’s first hybrid, the credit covers these initial models and lowers the cost of the Wrangler 4xe near to that of a non-hybrid model.