2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe vs 2021 Volvo XC40

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a more traditional SUV styling compared to other small luxury crossovers, featuring a tall, flat roof and an upright rear hatch. It seamlessly fit into the Volvo lineup with familial styling cues like “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlights and a simple oval grille. Gasoline models offered a white contrasting roof for a retro look. The XC40 Recharge distinguished itself with a blanked-off grille, subtle “Recharge” badging, and model-specific alloy wheels. It also featured a gloss black roof and mirror caps, a different rear bumper, and a model-exclusive color—Sage Green Metallic. The interior was minimalist yet premium, with high-quality materials, real metal trim, and a combination of Nappa leather and Nubuck textile upholstery.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe maintained Jeep’s iconic seven-slot grille, blending past and present with active shutters for improved aerodynamics. The Grand Cherokee 4xe was available only as a two-row, five-passenger SUV, unlike its gas-powered counterparts that offered a three-row option. The trim lineup included base 4xe, Trailhawk, Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve. The Overland trim, tested in silver with a contrasting black roof and 20-inch wheels, featured signature surf blue tow hooks and blue accents on trail-rated trims. Inside, the Grand Cherokee 4xe felt comfortable and upscale, with leather seats, wood and metal accents, heated and ventilated front seats, and bronze contrast stitching. However, it had an abundance of hard plastic materials, particularly below the hip point, which raised concerns about durability and noise.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 offered a three-tiered powertrain lineup, with the electric Recharge at the top. The gasoline options included a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base FWD T4 had 187 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, while the AWD T5 had 248 hp and 258 lb-ft. The Recharge shared its powertrain with the Polestar 2, featuring one electric motor for each axle, enabling AWD and a combined 402 hp and 486 lb-ft. The 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack provided electricity, with 75 kWh of usable capacity. The Recharge could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, while the T5 and T4 took 6.1 and 8.1 seconds, respectively. All versions were electronically limited to 112 mph. The XC40 Recharge emphasized quiet and comfort, with excellent ride quality even on winter-ravaged roads. It also offered one-pedal driving and a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe featured a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine and a 400-volt, 17-kWh battery pack, delivering 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. This powertrain outperformed Jeep’s 5.7-liter V8. The Grand Cherokee 4xe had standard four-wheel drive managed by an eight-speed automatic transmission, achieving 56 MPGe and a total driving range of 470 miles. The battery pack provided 25 miles of all-electric driving range. The Grand Cherokee 4xe offered E Select powertrain modes: Hybrid, Electric, and eSave. It also featured regenerative braking with a Max Regen setting for one-pedal driving. The vehicle had two off-road systems: Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II, with the latter offering more advanced capabilities. The Trailhawk trim boasted 10.9 inches of ground clearance and a maximum wading depth of 24 inches. However, the 4xe’s towing capacity was limited to 6,000 pounds.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge had no difference in passenger or cargo space compared to gasoline models. However, it had less legroom and headroom than competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E. The cargo area was also smaller, and the frunk was very small due to powertrain hardware. The gasoline XC40 was more competitive on interior space compared to rivals like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Volvo compensated for the lack of space with clever storage solutions, including a removable trash bin in the center console, a bag hook in the glovebox door, and extra-large door bins. The storage cubby ahead of the shifter was well-shaped to hold a phone, with an optional wireless charging pad and a single USB-C port. However, second-row occupants lacked phone-charging options.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, unlike its gas-powered counterpart, wasn’t offered as an L model with a third row of seats. However, it provided ample space for passengers in the existing seats. Folding the second row of seats down expanded cargo space from 37.7 cubic feet to 70.8 cubic feet, an improvement over the previous generation. Head and legroom were sufficient in both the front and back seats, making it a comfortable family vehicle for up to four passengers. The available air suspension allowed for quick adjustments, dropping the vehicle from its off-road height to a low position in as little as seven seconds, aiding in loading and unloading. Despite testing in hot conditions, the standard heated steering wheel would be a welcome feature in colder weather.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge featured the Android Automotive OS infotainment system, introduced on the Polestar 2, while gasoline models continued with the previous system. The Android Automotive OS included Google apps like Google Assistant and Google Maps, with the ability to sync personal Google accounts for customization. The system also supported Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity. The standard hardware setup included a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Recharge model also had OTA update capability for both the infotainment system and any vehicle function controlled by software. The XC40 Recharge lacked a start button, instead allowing the driver to shift out of park with the key fob on their person.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe featured the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, an Android-powered interface with customization options like the My Pages feature. The system included a 10.25-inch front-passenger display, standard on the base trim but optional on the Overland and Summit trims. The frameless 10.25-inch digital driver information display was standard on all trims, with a customizable gauge cluster. A wireless charging pad was optional, but four USB ports were standard. Optional dual rear-seat entertainment screens ran Amazon’s Fire TV for Auto. The 19-speaker McIntosh stereo, available on higher trims, was one of the best in the industry, providing exceptional audio quality.

The gasoline 2021 Volvo XC40 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA. These ratings didn’t apply to the electric XC40 Recharge, but Volvo expected it to perform well in crash tests due to a safety cage around the battery and a redesigned front crash structure. The XC40 came with a long list of standard safety features, including lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, rear parking sensors, hill-start assist, and hill-descent control. Optional features included traffic-sign recognition, reverse automatic emergency braking, a driver-alertness monitor, run-off road mitigation, oncoming lane mitigation, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist driver-assistance system. The Recharge model also had Volvo’s latest sensor suite, scalable for future advanced driver aids.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe offered a blend of standard and optional advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Standard features included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, rear parking sensors, and rear cross-traffic alert. Optional features included intersection-collision assist, night vision, front parking sensors, and a 360-degree surround-view camera. Jeep announced a hands-off driver assistance feature suite, requiring additional hardware and not available via OTA update for early buyers. Neither the IIHS nor the NHTSA had crash-tested the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee or the Grand Cherokee 4xe at the time of writing.