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Wrangler 4xe Backcountry: A Sahara with Rubicon Bumpers, Front Camera
Jeep just announced a new, limited-run trim for the plug-in hybrid Wrangler called the Backcountry. It’s a mid-tier trim level, sitting above the 4xe Sahara, upon which this new version is based, but below the full-fat Rubicon 4xe.
Think of the 2025 Wrangler 4xe Backcountry as a tech-heavy Rubicon-lite. You’ll get some luxuries from the Sahara plus some off-road hardware from the Rubicon but not its running gear. More on that in a moment.
Limited to just 5800 units, the 4xe Backcountry gets heaps of standard tech from the 4xe Sahara, including heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, the 12.3-inch UConnect 5 central infotainment screen, and more. But it also scores front and rear steel bumpers, rock rails, 32-inch General Grabber A/T tires wrapping 20-inch wheels, and a front-facing camera for easier navigation of trails. Some of the tech that’s optional on the 4xe Sahara, like the nine-speaker Alpine audio system and the Jeep Power Box, which can plug into the 4xe’s charge port and pull energy from the hybrid battery pack to power small appliances and accessories, comes standard on the 4xe Backcountry.
While the tires and bumpers give the Backcountry the feel of a more rugged off-roader, don’t go thinking that you’ll suddenly be able to hang with the Rubicons when the going gets rough. This new model still retains the Selec-Trac transfer case with a 2.72:1 low-range ratio found on non-Rubicon models. (Rubicons get a Rock-Trac case that offers a 4.0:1 low-range ratio.) Likewise, the 4xe Backcountry also retains the more tame 3.73:1 rear axle ratio, vs. the 4.10:1 you’d get in the Willys 4xe or the Rubicon 4xe.
Still, the 4xe Backcountry should be plenty capable enough to get you into some fun spots. It will also include a ton of built-in off-road trail guides, each mapped out by a company called Trails Offroad. You can download the guides through UConnect 5 and display them on the center screen. Each trail guide comes with difficulty ratings, route descriptions, and key waypoints to check out. The base version of this app will offer 60-plus Jeep Badge of Honor trails. Subscribe to the premium version and you’ll unlock more than 3000 guides.
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All Wrangler 4xes feature the same powertrain, which pairs a turbocharged, 2.0-liter, gas-burning four-cylinder with a 17.3-kWh Lithium Ion battery pack and two electric motors—one as a starter/generator motor, and another inside of the transmission. Total power output for the system is 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, and the Wrangler 4xe offers up to 21 miles of all-electric range on select models.
The 2025 Wrangler 4xe Backcountry is available for order right now at your local dealership. You can have yours in any of the current exterior colors: Anvil, black, Bright White, Firecracker Red, Granite Crystal, Hydro Blue, or even the ’41 color, a new-for-2025 option that’s evocative of the original Army green. It’s not cheap—pricing starts at $66,185, nearly $6000 more than a 4xe Sahara—but it should prove a compelling package for those who want to flirt with the idea of off-roading without having to commit to something as hardcore as the Rubicon 4xe.
I’m driving a loaner similar to this now.
It rides bad, rides horrible, feels cheap. But it has a cool factor.
The Turbo 4 runs well and if it were warm the roof and doors would be off. I think it would be great as a fun summer at the lake car. Buy a base one with a good stereo and just have summer fun.
But it is not something I would give up my truck for as a daily driver.
$66k is a bit more than I would want to pay for this kind of vehicle. I agree a more stripped down version would be a better option for me as a secondary car.
Even the Stripped down ones are not cheap but they are the best bargain. That is what I’m driving now, I miss my heated wheel.
I should have my truck back in about two weeks. It is just a better ride.