We have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe is the best-selling plug-in hybrid in America right now. This is according to Jeep, at least. But the bad news is that the Jeep Wrangler 4xe is quickly increasing in price. 

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe is getting more expensive 

Say it isn’t so! The price of the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe is increasing. The price has been creeping up since it made its debut at the beginning of the year. At first, the Wrangler Sahara 4xe was the cheapest model with a starting price of $49,490. This price included the $1,495 destination fee. 

But now CarsDirect has shared that the new price is going to be $52,520. This is the second price increase for the Sahara model. It was increased to $51,300. It’s now $3,030 more expensive than the original price sticker. Also, the higher-end Wrangler Rubicon 4xe has increased in price from $55,000 to $56,220. 

Why is the price of the Wrangler 4xe increasing? 

Earlier in the year, Jeep CEO, Micheal Manely, claimed that the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe is the best-selling PHEV in America after reviewing second-quarter sales. This means that it beat the Prius Prime and Toyota RAV4 Prime. 

This means that the Wrangler 4xe is in high demand. Also, all of the Wrangler 4xe models for the year are sold out. When something becomes harder to get, it can become more expensive. Plus, Jeep put out a pretty significant lease deal. 

With $3,985 due at signing, you can get the Wrangler 4xe for $265 a month for 36 months. That’s a great deal for an SUV that was about $51,300. The Toyota RAV4 Prime retails for $39,425, including the $1,175 destination fee. But you need to put down $3,094 at the signing, and then the payment is $444. So, why not pick the cheaper option? 

It’s unclear how many units were leased compared to being purchased outright. The sales report lists Wranglers as a whole. But it’s fair to estimate that leases represent about 69,020 units we’re sold. 

Is the semiconductor shortage affecting Jeep prices? 

Maybe. Despite facing a significant shortage of chips, Ford has made a profit. They have 60,000 to 70,000 incomplete Ford F-150 models waiting for chips. But by taking cost-cutting measures and increasing transaction prices, it managed to come out ahead. 

The average price of a Ford vehicle in the United States is now $47,961. This is a 6.3 percent increase compared to last quarter. But production of Jeep Wrangler models in the plant in Toledo, Ohio, hasn’t been affected. 

Stellantis has been saving their chips for their most popular and profitable models, such as the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe. But the ongoing semiconductor chip shorage is still hitting the auto industry pretty hard. 

The production of the Jeep Gladiator is being stalled for an entire week due to not having enough computer chips. The Gladiator is also built in the Toledo, Ohio, assembly plant. But Stellantis will continue to work closes with supplies to mitigate the manufacturing impacts causes by various supply chain issues.