Quadratec JTe First Drive: Off-Roading The Two-Door Pickup Jeep Won’t Build – SlashGear

Jeep equipped the 4xe with three critical buttons to the left of the steering wheel on the dash that allow the choice between a “traditional” plug-in HYBRID mode, ELECTRIC to keep the gas engine fully off, and a nifty E-SAVE battery management system. The truck fires up initially in hybrid mode, prioritizing fuel economy by shutting the engine down at low speeds or when stopped, then only firing up the ICE powerplant when necessary. Full electric mode offers up to 21 miles of EV, while the e-save mode tells the ECU to prioritize saving battery life for later use, for example while cruising on the highway on the way to a trailhead.

This review is more about the changes that Quadretec et al made to the 4xe to transform it into an eye-catching one-off concept car that serves as a rolling advertisement for Tread Lightly!—so I don’t want to focus entirely on Jeep’s underlying platform. Plus, the aesthetic and functional improvements go through the full catalog, from Unofficial Use Only’s dash and door card trim to a full 2.5-inch suspension lift with adjustable control arms and shocks by Lynx, Steersmarts steering upgrades, Carnivore front and rear bumpers, Katskinz 4xe edition seat covers, and a host of Quadratec’s lighting packages, heat extractors, winches and solenoids, and much more.

Michael Teo Van Runkle/SlashGear

Skipping out on the by-now-ubiquitous (according to Instagram, anyway) roof tent helps to accentuate the unique two-door pickup form, but the real-world driveability of the JTe proves that this layout actually deserves to make the transition from concept to production reality. And not just because the JTe looks so much better than a stock Gladiator’s long, rectangular cabin and shorter-than-short bed; in town, the JTe’s peppy turbo-four and battery dole out plenty of grunt, even given the hybrid system’s additional 1,000 pounds or so plus all the add-ons that Quadratec added on and the short wheelbase keeps the turning radius nice and nimble for daily driving or Whole Foods parking lots, even with the gargantuan Nitto Recon Grappler all-terrain tires.