I drove a Jeep that morphs into an electric car – is it time for us to finally plug in?

JEEP is such a staple of the motoring world that it’s hard to imagine how a hybrid fits – but blimey, it does.

The Jeep Renegade 4XE is a plug-in hybrid that offers better eco credentials, and can easily save you a load of cash in the long run.

The Sun / Sean Keach

This hybrid Jeep Renegade is a fun twist on an iconic motor[/caption]

Jeep

Plug in and conquer the trails[/caption]

First things first, this is a fairly cheap car.

You’re paying about £36,000 – which isn’t bad for an SUV that has some decent off-road chops.

It’s not as pretty as similarly priced Jaguar E-Pace and Audi Q3, but if you like the Jeep aesthetic, this is a nice pick.

In terms of driving chops, you can nip to 62mph from a stop in 7.1 seconds – with a top speed of 124mph.

Importantly, the car has an electric motor alongside the combustion engine, so you get very nippy acceleration.

The kick from a dead stop is great fun, and very unexpected given that you’re sitting in a Jeep.

Jeep’s 1.3-litre hybrid engine delivers 240 horsepower and 350Nm of torque – enough to tow 1,500 kilos.

Plug it in

The big advantage of this car is the plug-in hybrid system.

You can select EV mode only and get 26 miles of pure electric driving.

If you’re just doing the school run and have a short work commute, this could effectively operate as an electric car for you.

Charging it up at home would be very cheap – and fast too, powering up in under two hours with Jeep’s recommended Easy Wallbox.

Jeep has also plugged a calculator onto its website so you can work out cost savings versus you current petrol/diesel motor.

The car offers up four-wheel drive on-demand, and includes Jeep’s Selec-Terrain system for varying road conditions. Think snow, sand, mud, rock.

There’s also a Sport Mode for when you’re feeling particularly fruity, and want to confuse people with your rampant acceleration from traffic lights.

And if you’re feeling lazy, there’s cruise control too.

I tried the Trailhawk trim, which is the most expensive of the three variants – and promises better traction and manoeuvrability.

It’s also get some aesthetic changes, including customised seats.

The interior isn’t exactly Bentley. But this isn’t a Bentley, it’s a Jeep. And it’s exactly what you’d expect.

In fact, despite this being an automatic, you still get a proper gear knob.

All this little “Jeep-ish” things immerse you in the Jeep world, which is brilliant.

You’re driving to the shops and you feel like you could turn off and go on an expedition at any second.

Of course, you carry on to Tesco – but it’s the thought that off-road freedom is just a turn away that is mildly thrilling. What more could you want from the weekly shop?

And if you’re a supermarket regular, the rear parking sensor will come in very handy.

Jeep beep

There’s a 7-inch instrument cluster, as well as an 8.4-inch touchscreen.

The stock infotainment is fine, but I preferred using Apple CarPlay to emulate my iPhone on-screen.

Both front seats are heated (as is the steering wheel).

And you can electrically adjust the lumbar support on the driver’s side.

These are quite nice on a rugged Jeep in this price range.

Dual-zone climate control keeps your passenger happy, and a six-speaker array allows for respectable tune-blasting.

The Jeep Renegade 4XE Trailhawk is a playful and clever motor.

It feels like a proper Jeep with some off-road smarts, but very easily works as a daily runaround.

The hybrid element works well, with a workable EV range for anyone with a low daily mileage.

And it future-proofs you for a fast-approaching time when full-petrol/diesel cars will see you ostracised from society. Probably.

Anyway, if you don’t get on with the electric side of things, you can still fill it up at the forecourt and be on your merry way.

That’s why it’s hard to argue with hybrids. You get the fast-charging eco joy of electric, with the convenience of petrol too.

Jeep hasn’t reinvented the wheel here. But it’s made a cracking compact SUV that might save you a bit of cash at the pumps.

The Jeep Renegade 4XE Trailhawk starts at £36,500. The Sun tested a model with an on-the-road price of £37,100.

• Jeep Renegade 4XE starting at £32,600 – buy here

All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed. Always do your own research before making any purchase.

The Sun / Sean Keach

It looks like a proper Jeep – but you can charge it up[/caption]

The Sun / Sean Keach

It’s very utilitarian, which is what you’d expect from a Jeep[/caption]

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In other news, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is the electric car of your dreams.

Check out the new Bentley Bentayga Hybrid – a silent 17-foot “dream machine”.

The new Mercedes S-Class has sci-fi sat-nav arrows – just like a video game.

Give our tech overview of the impressive Lamborghini Urus.

And take a look at the gadget-mad BMW X5.

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