{"id":29454,"date":"2022-07-07T09:30:39","date_gmt":"2022-07-07T13:30:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=29454"},"modified":"2022-07-07T09:35:43","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T13:35:43","slug":"payne-plug-in-faceoff-volvo-xc90-recharge-vs-jeep-grand-cherokee-4xe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/payne-plug-in-faceoff-volvo-xc90-recharge-vs-jeep-grand-cherokee-4xe","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Plug-in faceoff, Volvo XC90 Recharge vs. Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clarington, Ontario<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 The federal government is forcing automakers to go all-electric, but even some of my green friends are balking at the idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not plug-in hybrids so we can use electricity around town and gas on trips?\u201d asks one.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cElectric doesn\u2019t make sense. Are there plug-in hybrids?\u201d asks another.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard plug-ins are a good middle ground,\u201d says another.<\/em><\/p>\n

Washington ain\u2019t much for middle ground these days, so plug-ins are a nonstarter because (horrors) they use the demon gasoline. But manufacturers are listening to their customers, and for those who like the EV driving experience \u2014 but appreciate the efficiency of gas \u2014 there are good choices in the premium market.<\/p>\n

\"Detroit<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Consider the 2022 Volvo XC90 Recharge and Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe I recently put to the test.<\/p>\n

Big and roomy, they are midsize family SUVs designed to do everything from haul the groceries home to haul the family on long excursions. For customers who need this kind of diversity, EVs don\u2019t make sense. Who wants to wait for 45 minutes at a supercharger while the kids scream: \u201cAre we there yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

Volvo has been particularly aggressive at going all-electric with compact around-towners like the XC40 Recharge and (sister EV brand) Polestar 2. But its midsize XC90 better fits the plug-in market given its road trip ambitions . . . road trips like my summer journey from Detroit to Ontario, where I was scheduled to race my Lola at one of North America\u2019s epic tracks: Mosport International Raceway just north of Lake Ontario.<\/p>\n

Battery power fits the Scandinavian brand that has long appealed to tree-huggers. A century after alcohol Prohibition, America is in the midst of a second temperance movement\u00a0\u2014\u00a0this time focused on limiting carbon consumption. For luxe buyers who crave a Tesla Model X\u00a0but need a plug-in\u2019s versatility,\u00a0\u00a0the XC90 Recharge satisfies moral and practical concerns.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe fits the bill\u00a0too.<\/p>\n

Jeep\u2019s enormous brand bandwidth allows it to appeal to everyone from mainstream buyers shopping for a $25K Renegade to swells who want to arrive at the country club in a $110K\u00a0Jeep Wagoneer.<\/p>\n

Mention the Jeep Grand Cherokee in the same breath as Volvo, BMW, Audi\u00a0and Cadillac. and my friends don\u2019t flinch. The Jeep name has that kind of cachet. So Jeep has shrewdly brought its 4xe plug-in drivetrain to the Grand, where it offers a premium ride at $63K while still coming in well short of the Volvo Recharge\u2019s (cough) $84K.<\/p>\n

My testers were similar yet different. These brands play to their strengths.<\/p>\n

Preparing for my trip across the border, I juiced both the Jeep and Volvo batteries on my garage-mounted, 240-volt charger. At about $2,000 to install, the 240-volt is an expensive\u00a0but necessary accessory for plug-in buyers. It\u2019s also a major reason battery-powered vehicles are best-suited for a high-income demographic.<\/p>\n

Once charged, both Volvo and Jeep gave me the option to save the battery range for when I want to use it. With a 300-mile journey ahead to Mosport, I chose the Volvo and its superior 36 miles of battery-only range.<\/p>\n

Like European nations, Canada is more militant than the United States\u00a0on carbon prohibition, with plans to ban gasoline by 2035. Cities are proposing \u201czero-emission zones\u201d allowing only battery-powered vehicles. While I would encounter no such zones on my trip to metropolitan Toronto, the XC90 Recharge could qualify \u2014 assuming I could switch over to EV power only.<\/p>\n

The Jeep has a similar feature \u2014 which could be saved for, say, a silent run through Holly Oaks off-road park an hour up I-75. However, it\u2019s only good for 26 miles compared to the Volvo\u2019s 36. That\u2019s a big difference \u2014 and the first of many reasons that the XC90 Recharge is priced $20K higher than the Grand.<\/p>\n

After crossing the Canadian border at Sarnia, I selected the Volvo\u2019s driver-assist mode and set the speed to 78 mph (Canadian speed limit is 60 mph but natives ignore it like Americans used to ignore 55). The green steering wheel icon in the digital ash indicated the car needed limited input from me.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Casting my eyes around the cabin, I saw the Volvo was a lovely piece of work with its white leather interior, Orrefors crystal shift knob\u00a0and big panoramic roof. Lovely, but uncomfortable for this 6-foot-5-inch\u00a0driver, given that the headrest was immovable and forced my head forward. Fortunately, placing a pillow behind my back helped alleviate the discomfort.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The Grand Cherokee\u2019s interior has come a long way from the previous gen and is a big reason I recommend it to luxury buyers. The design is upscale with a cascading black console that houses a small infotainment screen \u2014 not unlike the Volvo. These brands have eschewed the trend to ginormous screens. The Jeep also gave me choice of cruise controls \u2014 standard cruise or adaptive \u2014 though not an ambitious drive-assist system like the VC90.<\/p>\n

After a lunch stop with Mrs. Payne, I put the pedal to metal and the Volvo merged with authority onto the interstate \u2014 its combined supercharged, turbocharged inline-4 and electric motor putting out a beastly 440 horsepower. This is a hot Swedish meatball.<\/p>\n

\"When<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

That acceleration is tempered in EV mode. Upon arriving at Bowmanville, Ontario, I switched over to my saved battery power. The resulting EV mode is all-electric \u2014 but doesn\u2019t offer torquey, kick-in-the-pants acceleration like a big-battery, 75 kWh Polestar 2. Instead, the 14.9 kWh battery enabled smooth driving around town, if not lively performance.<\/p>\n

In contrast, the Grand Cherokee 4xe\u2019s EV mode only provides limited battery-only driving. Speed up over 60 mph and the gas engine kicks in to help. The Jeep apparently thinks you\u2019ll use the battery at low off-road speeds (like a Wrangler 4xe) or in delivering the kiddies to school on moderate, 45-mph secondary roads.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

For both plug-ins, the estimated battery range proved optimistic. I used up the Jeep\u2019s 21 miles quickly around Metro Detroit, whereas the Volvo\u2019s 36 miles only took me about 22 miles in real-world driving. For all Canada\u2019s talk of an electric future, charging stations were rare east of Toronto.<\/p>\n

I found a Hyundai dealership next to my Comfort Inn with a public\u00a0110-volt outlet that recharged my VC90 Recharge each night so that I could drain the battery the next day on my 22-mile round trip commute to the track.<\/p>\n

I filled up the Volvo on the way back home from Mosport \u2014 the plug-in proving its worth with a big gas tank. The Grand Cherokee, too, would have been suited for the Ontario trip. But with its blue tow hooks, matte-black hood, and meaty off-road tires, the Trailhawk trim is better for an off-road rally driver instead of an asphalt, road-course jockey like me.<\/p>\n

Heck, the Jeep could even do the rally itself.<\/p>\n

2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe<\/h2>\n

Vehicle type:<\/strong>\u00a0All-wheel-drive, five-passenger\u00a0SUV<\/p>\n

Price:<\/strong>\u00a0$57,660 including $1,795 destination fee ($64,280 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant:<\/strong>\u00a02.0-liter, turbocharged inline-4 cylinder mated to AC motor and 14.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack<\/p>\n

Power:<\/strong>\u00a0375 horsepower, 470 pound-feet torque<\/p>\n

Transmission:<\/strong>\u00a08-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance:<\/strong>\u00a00-60 mph, 6.8 seconds (Car and Driver); towing capacity, 6,000 pounds<\/p>\n

Weight:<\/strong>\u00a05,600 pounds (est.)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy:<\/strong>\u00a0EPA 23 mpg city\/24 highway\/23 combined; 26 miles on battery only<\/p>\n

Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n

Highs:<\/strong>\u00a0Attractive interior\/exterior design; off-road moxie<\/p>\n

Lows:<\/strong>\u00a0Drivetrain lacks refinement; pure-EV mode limited to low speeds<\/p>\n

Overall:<\/strong>\u00a03\u00a0stars<\/p>\n

2022 Volvo VC90 Recharge<\/h2>\n

Vehicle type:<\/strong>\u00a0All-wheel-drive, five-or-seven passenger\u00a0SUV<\/p>\n

Price:<\/strong>\u00a0$66,895 including $1,095\u00a0destination fee ($84,090 XC90 Recharge T8 Inscription as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant:<\/strong>\u00a02.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged inline-4 cylinder mated to AC motor and 14.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack<\/p>\n

Power:<\/strong>\u00a0455 horsepower, 523 pound-feet torque<\/p>\n

Transmission:<\/strong>\u00a08-speed automatic\/direct-drive<\/p>\n

Performance:<\/strong>\u00a00-60 mph, 4.5 seconds (Car and Driver); towing capacity, 5,291 pounds<\/p>\n

Weight:<\/strong>\u00a05,121 pounds<\/p>\n

Fuel economy:<\/strong>\u00a0EPA 25 mpg city\/27 highway\/26 combined; 36 miles on battery only<\/p>\n

Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n

Highs:<\/strong>\u00a0Pure-EV range; good power<\/p>\n

Lows:<\/strong>\u00a0Lacks latest Google-based infotainment system; 36-mile battery range is over-estimated<\/p>\n

Overall:<\/strong>\u00a03\u00a0stars<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clarington, Ontario\u00a0\u2014 The federal government is forcing automakers to go all-electric, but even some of my green friends are balking at the idea. \u201cWhy not plug-in hybrids so we can use electricity around town and gas on trips?\u201d asks one. \u201cElectric doesn\u2019t make sense. Are there plug-in hybrids?\u201d asks another. \u201cI\u2019ve heard plug-ins are a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29454"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29454"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29454\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29455,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29454\/revisions\/29455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}