2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe vs 2021 Volvo XC90

The 2021 Volvo XC90 marked a significant shift in Volvo's design philosophy, moving away from its traditionally conservative styling. While maintaining recognizable Volvo elements like a boxy profile and rectangular grille, the XC90 introduced softer lines, more chrome, and distinctive LED headlights with "Thor’s Hammer" daytime running lights. The Inscription trim, with its extra chrome and optional 21-inch alloy wheels, was the flashiest, while the R-Design and Momentum trims offered sportier and more basic looks, respectively. The XC90's interior embraced "Swedish minimalism," featuring high-quality materials and thoughtful design, including matte-finish wood trim and optional wool upholstery. However, the Orrefors crystal shifter seemed a bit out of place in the otherwise restrained interior.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe, on the other hand, made its presence known through both its appearance and sound. Aside from a "4xe" badge and blue accents, it looked like a regular Wrangler, with the addition of a power port at the base of the windshield. The Wrangler 4xe was silent when running on electric power, except for the pedestrian notification system, which turned heads during a test drive in Yosemite National Park. The Rubicon trim, painted in Firecracker Red, came with over $13,000 in options, bringing the price to $66,690. Inside, the Wrangler 4xe retained the classic Wrangler look with some unique touches like blue seat stitching and special PHEV-related gauges. The interior was functional, with controls laid out for practicality, and offered more soft-touch materials than expected.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 offered three powertrains, all based on a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base T5 model featured a turbocharged engine producing 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The T6 model added a supercharger, increasing output to 316 hp and 295 lb-ft. The T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid, also known as Recharge, combined the T6 engine with electric assist, delivering a total of 400 hp and 472 lb-ft. The T5 came with front-wheel drive as standard, with all-wheel drive optional, while the T6 and T8 had standard AWD. Despite the impressive power figures, the XC90 struggled with acceleration from stops on electric power alone, often requiring the gasoline engine to assist. The XC90 excelled in ride quality, thanks to an optional air-suspension system, and offered a quiet cabin. It had a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds for most models, with the base FWD T5 rated at 4,000 pounds.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe combined a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with two electric motors and a 17-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. This setup provided an estimated 21 miles of pure electric driving and a combined efficiency rating of 49 MPGe. When used as a hybrid, the EPA rated its fuel economy at 20 mpg combined, with a total driving range of 370 miles. The Wrangler 4xe offered three powertrain modes: Hybrid, Electric, and e-Save. In Hybrid mode, it delivered a total of 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, allowing it to accelerate to 60 mph in six seconds. Electric mode kept the gas engine off unless necessary, while e-Save preserved battery power for specific situations. During a road trip to Yosemite, the Wrangler 4xe demonstrated its ability to recharge the battery through regenerative braking, although it struggled with aerodynamic efficiency on the freeway. The Wrangler 4xe covered 757 miles during the test, averaging 19.1 mpg.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 was available in six-seat or seven-seat configurations, with second-row captain’s chairs or a bench seat. Headroom and legroom were average for the segment, with the third row being tight for adults. The interior featured a power moonroof, four-zone climate control, and optional filtration for fine particulate matter. The Inscription trim offered 10-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats with backrest massage, but lacked a power-adjustable steering wheel. Storage space was limited, with a shallow center console and minimal console storage. Cargo space was 11.2 cubic feet with all seats in place, 34.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and 64.1 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded, placing it near the bottom of the segment. A hands-free power tailgate was available.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe required some effort to climb into due to high door sills and narrow rear openings, but once inside, it offered a comfortable experience. The driving position was classic Wrangler, with a high seating position and clear view over the hood. Manual front seat height adjusters helped find the best position, but the seats tended to lower over time. The center console had limited storage due to the hand-brake and transfer case lever. Rear-seat space was adequate if sitting upright, with air conditioning vents, USB ports, a power outlet, and MOLLE-style storage straps. Cargo volume was 27.7 cubic feet behind the back seat, with a storage bin under the load floor for the charging cord. Folding the back seat increased the volume to 72.4 cubic feet.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 featured the Sensus infotainment system with a 9-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, Bluetooth, and a built-in WiFi hotspot. It also offered a 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system and a head-up display. The portrait-oriented touchscreen was user-friendly, allowing for easy navigation through menus. However, the amount of text and typeface made reading some menus difficult while driving. The wireless charging pad added for 2021 was too small for most phones, and the lack of front USB-C ports was a drawback.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon featured an 8.4-inch touchscreen Uconnect infotainment system with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, and SiriusXM Guardian connected services. A WiFi connection was available and useful during road trips. The Alpine sound system could overcome wind noise on the freeway, but at the cost of making conversation difficult. The Uconnect system was intuitive but showed its age in terms of load time, responsiveness, voice recognition, and graphics. The Trip Summary data panel provided charging time estimates, and the five blue charging indicator lights on the dashboard were helpful for viewing charging status.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS for non-hybrid models, with top “Good” scores in all crash tests and a “Superior” rating for front-crash prevention in vehicle-to-vehicle testing. The NHTSA gave all XC90 models a five-star overall safety rating. The XC90 offered numerous standard safety features, including lane-keep assist, driver-attention monitor, traffic-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist driver aid. Pilot Assist combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering, providing smooth and quick reactions to other vehicles.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe offered advanced driving assistance systems in the Safety Group (blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, rear parking sensors) and the Advanced Safety Group (adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights). The blind-spot warning system was particularly useful due to the Wrangler’s narrow side mirrors. The LED headlights with automatic high beams were effective but rated Marginal by the IIHS. The Wrangler received a four-star frontal-impact crash-test rating and a three-star rollover rating from the NHTSA. The IIHS rated the Wrangler as Marginal for small-overlap, frontal-impact protection for the driver, with the vehicle tipping over during tests.