It's feasible to do an alternate route to the outer solar system by using an ion engine, dropping the perihelion down below Venus's orbit and then using a Venus

It's feasible to do an alternate route to the outer solar system by using an ion engine, dropping the perihelion down below Venus's orbit and then using a Venus -> Earth gravity assist chain with the ion engine going the whole time. The downside is that this is a more lengthy process than the Grand Tour route, and you have to do all your maneuvers in the inner solar system because ion engines draw a lot of electrical power and solar panels get very weak once you get past Mars or so.