Report: Jeep Wrangler 4Xe - Summit assault
Suddenly the après-ski fun is just a minor matter! Helene Fischer fervently trumpets her hit "Atemlos durch die Nacht" from the glass pavilion and the crowd sways more or less rhythmically to the sounds of the pop singer. Only one couple peers through the window, stunned. Both almost frozen to a pillar of salt. The young man is still holding the glass with a clear liquid in it. But the glass doesn't make it to his mouth. The woman is the first to regain her composure. She beams, sticks both thumbs up and waves to us. Just a few moments later, her companion is back among the living, puts down the schnapps and jumps up and down with joy.
Actually, Tina Turner's theme song "We don't another Hero" from the Mad Max end-time epic "Beyond the Thunderdome" would be a more fitting musical backdrop for this scene. We feel like an Alpine end-time warrior. Because we're sitting in a Jeep Wrangler 4Xe, which is missing some not insignificant components. A helmet off for prayer is not enough. In addition to the roof, which we have removed in no time at all, the doors have also been removed. So we took off our jackets too. As we pass under a chairlift, some of the skiers shake their heads in amazement. After all, Mrs. Holle is shaking out her pillows vigorously. Very vigorously!
No matter, we want to mill our way through the masses of snow in Kühtai by jeep. At an altitude of 2,000 meters, a good half hour's drive from Innsbruck, in Austria's highest ski resort. As we're not driving on public roads, we don't need to replace the doors with bars including click-on wing mirrors. In summer, it's certainly a very casual way to pull up in front of the ice cream parlor. Perhaps not such a good idea in the snowy Tyrol. After just a few meters, the self-proclaimed end-time warrior mutates into a snowman at the wheel. And if he does, he has to do it properly and, above all, steeply up the mountain.
The task is no mean feat, as the PHEV Wrangler has no spikes or even snow chains fitted, just winter-approved all-terrain tires. The all-wheel drive has to ensure that we don't get stuck. This is because the tight, winding bends and the snow depth of more than 1.20 meters limit the use of the traction-enhancing locks in the bends or sharp changes of direction, as otherwise the radius in the search for a surface that provides grip would be too large. As long as you are heading straight ahead on four wheels, the all-wheel drive tricks of the master climber will help. A sensitive throttle foot is required so that the all-wheel drive technology of the off-road Ami can unfold its full effect on the trails. However, we don't get any further at turtle speed. We only climb steep hills with a lot of momentum. Sliding would be disastrous.
So the all-wheel drive has to provide constant propulsion. There is plenty of power available: The four-cylinder Wrangler 4Xe combustion engine delivers 200 kW / 272 hp. Added to this is a 107 kW / 145 hp electric motor, which is integrated into the transmission of the eight-speed automatic and guarantees the electric all-wheel drive. Together, this results in a system output of 280 kW / 380 hp and a maximum torque of 637 Newton meters. These are also necessary, as the Wrangler Xe is anything but a lightweight, weighing a good 2.2 tons. A belt-driven starter generator ensures that the battery does not run out of juice. That would be fatal in the middle of a slope. The battery has a capacity of 17.3 kilowatt hours, which should last for 44 kilometers. But cold is the natural enemy of electric driving and we are glad that there is always enough energy to power us through the white snow with the traction of the four wheels. So we can concentrate on the essentials. Due to the immediately available torque, you have to be even more sensitive with the accelerator pedal in electric mode than is the case with the combustion engine version. The same applies to the steering movements. Less is sometimes more. The snow and the mountain do not forgive mistakes. If you overdo it, you will inevitably fail.
We are approaching the highest point of our extraordinary adventure. By now, there is not much left of the martial appearance of the man at the wheel. A mixture of snow and water has turned the seat into a paddling pool and the flakes are now swirling so much that we can only see through them with ski goggles. But practice makes perfect here too. We have familiarized ourselves with the difficult traction conditions and master the last section before heading back, which is no less tricky. But we manage that too and at the very end we stop by our après-ski heroes again. They're still waving cheerfully at us, but look a lot more pitiful than at the start of the trip.
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Source: www.stern.de
