At a time when artificial intelligence is embracing humanity and technology is moving to the level of the sky, the existence of simple and understandable things is beginning to impress. The Jeep Wrangler seems to be the only one that has carried its originality through the ages and has not lost but multiplied its abilities.
I am approaching this monster in graphite color. I’ve been wanting to get to know it for a long time, but it didn’t work out. Jeep was definitely not going through its best times, passing from hand to hand. So this opportunity did not come up, and here the importer’s test fleet is replenished with such a rare beast. So the week promised to be interesting, primarily because of the unusual design of the Wrangler, which has hardly changed over the years.
This time, the modification only affected the grille, which became narrower and completely black, but still with the same recognizable seven-stripes style. Finally, the pre-war antenna was removed from the front pillar, and of course, new designs of 17 and 18-inch wheels were offered.
Behind the rear are the same square lights that first appeared on the Wrangler YJ (1987-1995) along with square headlights. And if the headlights didn’t catch on with consumers, the next generations have inherited the taillights. It’s nice that even with the old styling, there are fully LED optics all around and even in the cabin.
Content
A true Jeep does not provoke politeness or neatness, let alone cleanliness because you have to climb in with your legs high. Will you ever see a man in pants or a girl in an evening dress getting out of a Jeep Wrangler? Mostly it will be jeans and sturdy boots. You won’t expect any concessions in the form of a footrest, it’s not a member of the gentlemen’s club like the Defender, but it has an even greater heritage. Plus, it still stays true to its roots.
So you jump into the Jeep Wrangler’s seat and, lo and behold, it turns out to be more comfortable than it seemed, and you don’t even get your pants dirty. And most importantly, you immediately feel like a mighty Thor: you can easily close the lightweight doors with a metal clang, like a bodybuilder. Or you can even unfasten it and throw it open with one swing (after unscrewing it with an Allen key, of course). Even a girl can do it.
So the Wrangler is still a transformer that can be undressed on the go from the door, hood, to the roof, thanks to the Torx system. And in the end, there is surprisingly well-thought-out aerodynamics, so it doesn’t even blow into the cabin when the roof is open. The main thing is not to get caught in the rain.
It’s good that at least the interior is leather. And the leather is as if from the old «Willys» — strong and without a hint of fragility or tenderness. It can withstand even snow and frost. Of course, the plastic is also appropriate — dense and hard. The leather upholstery with smooth, stylish stitching is at least partially pleasant, in the areas that most often come into view and under the arm. It’s so nice to see this after most recycled materials interiors, as if you’ve stepped into a time machine. Even the dense rubber mats with folded edges completely cover the space underfoot and have a characteristic topographic map pattern.
«Easter» with a reference to historical heritage can be found everywhere: on the windshield, on the torpedo, on the body, in the luggage compartment and even on the rims. A fun and entertaining game for friends and children — find the most pictures.
Surprisingly, the interior update significantly corrects the impression of the Jeep Wrangler of previous years. It seems that the gaps between the plastic panels have become tighter and the materials are better and softer. There is a large 12.3-inch monitor inside with a modern UConnect 5 multimedia system and wireless smartphone connection via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The list includes active assistants while driving, both on and off-road. No wonder because the safety of the Wrangler has long been complained about, and Euro NCAP generally gave it one in crash tests.
The interior combines antiquity with modernity. Prehistoric levers, switches, and keys are located next to the engine start button, heated steering wheel and seats, hill descent assist and surround view cameras. The chic audio system with powerful speakers in the ceiling contrasts with the primitiveness of the plastic mounts.
I customized the seat for myself. Here, the electronic control of the chair in terms of height, length, and even the seat can be set conveniently. The range is not bad and even a girl can get comfortable, and now the steering wheel can be adjusted. I press the engine start button and the steel monster shudders from the roar of the engine.
Just wait, it’s not a diesel or even a V8 or V6 — it’s a regular inline four-cylinder 2-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with 272 hp and 400 Nm of torque. It seems to have been squeezed out of it as much as possible. And for our market, this is the only offer paired with an eight-speed ZF automatic, which has already proven itself on difficult off-road terrain and skillfully demonstrates downshifting when necessary.
This monster drives easily, as if playing. The engine roar and the noise of the «toothy» BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain TA tires, which are offered directly from the factory for the Rubicon version, hardly interfere. Surprisingly, good noise insulation for a vehicle that can be stripped almost to the base. There’s no unnecessary knocking either, as if everything is securely and tightly assembled. Only the leather of the seats sometimes creaks during rocking, which will certainly be significant here.
The steering wheel is not as sharp and clear as we would like. But that’s because of its nature, which is not designed for speed at all. And the rack and pinion is 3.2 turns long, so you have to turn the «throttle» often and hard. Only the more expensive and elite Ineos Grenadier, as a reincarnation of the old Defender, has even less steering sensitivity than here, and you have to make much more effort there. So the Wrangler still holds the road well and has better handling, although you still need to catch it on the exits from the corners.
The American loses to the Englishman only in swaying and softness of the suspension. The Wrangler will throw passengers with persistence. It tries to throw them out of the body in every possible way, so you need to hold on to all the handles and even rest your feet to keep your head intact. But this is more on dirt, where there are significant bumps, and you would rather not slow down. On asphalt, it’s solid and solid, and there’s plenty of room for passengers both in width and height.
On public roads, the Jeep Wrangler easily covers kilometers, and now the driver can also use adaptive cruise, though without keeping in the lane. So you can still rest and relax. It swallows up bumps, doesn’t notice potholes, small obstacles, changes in the ground, and curbs. Even if it jumps, it will only do so when a tree falls under the wheels, and then you can crawl over it, especially when you know how to use all the resources of this «Godzilla». And there’s a full set of them here, from the part-time transmission with locks to the reinforced Dana 44 HD Full Float rear axle, and a special lowered transmission ratio of 4.0:1, which is available only in the Rubicon version.
With a bold move, I turn onto the first gravel road and drive as far as the eye can see, because I know that there is little that can stop me. Mud? Sand? He can even drive on stones in the mountains. Unfortunately, there are neither mountains nor rain to wet the roads. I’ll go to the sands. I boldly grab the all-wheel drive lever. And here you need a decent effort. Not a key or a button. It’s definitely not for the weak and indecisive. Hmm, electronic shifting has already been invented and it’s somehow strange not to be able to move this stick for three lakhs. It took me a while, but you can feel the confidence and strength of the system.
And then I noticed one more advantage of the update — 4WD Auto mode with automatic connection of the front axle as needed, which means the presence of a multi-disc clutch. That is, when you doubt whether you will need all-wheel drive at all, you turn on the automatic mode and it performs most of the tasks by itself. At least the ones that can be found within 30 km around the capital.
The Jeep Wrangler can make its way without any ruts, no one will doubt that. Only Sherpa can do it better. Only Ineos can keep up with the American, where the best representatives of famous brands worked on both the transmission and the capabilities. And against the background of the already good base from LR, this only adds weight.
And the Grenadier will have much more comfort in the cabin. However, our Rubicon maximizes off-road capabilities. Against the background of both locking center and center differentials and disabling the front stabilizer, the Jeep has a simpler and more understandable algorithm, as well as easy «reset» locks with one red button. Whereas in the Ineos, the myriad of keys requires a multistep process, and the wrong choice can confuse the system.
In addition, the low-range gearbox provides more precise control over the accelerator pedal at low speeds and increases engine torque when climbing steep slopes. To be sure, you can use the TrailCam camera to show you what’s in front of the front bumper and which direction to take. In the Jeep Wrangler, the ground clearance is an honest 255 mm and the ford depth is 760 mm, but the raised air intake under the hood says that this is rather a minimum. And the angles of departure, arrival, and departure are 43.9, 37.0 and 22.6 degrees.
Overcoming a small sand quarry, it occurred to me that this was probably the car that was supposed to be waiting for the bride who was constantly running away. Because no one would stop her or catch up with her in this car. You can run straight ahead without slowing down. How I love this feeling, which is simply invaluable and boundless. But in our case, there is a specific price for all the pleasure you get with this «god» off-road, and it starts at 2,891,400 hryvnias. And don’t forget the fuel costs because feeding this monster will be troublesome with an average consumption of 11-13 liters. A diesel seems to be more appropriate here, but everything is in favor of the environment, so diesels are a thing of the past.
The 2024 update seems to be a push to bridge the gap between the off-road-ready Wranglers of yesteryear and the popular retro-styled luxury SUVs of today. Despite any trends, this Jeep has remained what it should be and has never disappointed. It is an image of stability and endurance. Even those who are far from knowing different brands and cars, let alone off-road, recognize it on the road. And this is the key to success. Now, thanks to the latest technology and engineering, the Jeep Wrangler remains within its style and purpose. It is capable of feats that most similarly priced 4×4 vehicles can only dream of.
Looking at the Wrangler, it is impossible not to think that modern trends for large SUVs are returning to cubism, which is just that brutal, anti-aerodynamic and fat. Remember Toyota LC Prado this year or the Defender. But these are all low-capacity, albeit good SUVs. Authenticity and maximum capability are still reserved for the Jeep. It is breathing down its neck with the ultra-modern technological and luxurious Mercedes G-Class, or the twice as expensive and fresh reincarnation of the old Land Rover — Ineos Grenadier which can really compete, but it will cost an order of magnitude more. And the Suzuki Jimny, although it has many features, looks like a baby next to the Wrangler.
It seems to me that Jeep is chosen more with the heart than with the mind. It’s a compromise between a thirst for adventure and prudence. It’s for those who are not afraid to be different, who want to wake up under the stars, changing landscapes, who don’t like borders and boundaries, who fight for freedom not only of movement. And the number of Wranglers sold over the 37 years of the model’s existence (under this name) has already reached 5 million in 2023. And the new one will boost sales even more. Because it’s cool!
PROS: fantastic off-road capabilities, style, clear transmission shifts, fresh technologies, transformation, interior, and luggage compartment space.
CONS: fuel consumption, unclear behavior at speed, road noise, cheap interior appearance.
| Body, type | SUV |
| Dimensions (LxWxH), mm | 4882х1894х1848 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 3008 |
| Declared ground clearance, mm | 255 |
| Trunk volume, liters. | 5331044 |
| Curb weight, kg | 2103 |
| Engine | R4 turbo gasoline |
| Working volume, cubic cm | 1995 |
| Power, hp. | 272 (200) |
| Torque, Nm | 400 |
| Type of drive | Full 4WD |
| Drive system | Rock Trac (2H, 4H Auto, 4H Part time, 4L) |
| Front/rear bridge | Dana M210Dana M220 |
| Suspension in front of. | 5-lever with stabilizer and axle separation |
| Rear suspension | 5-lever solid axle with stabilizer |
| CHECKPOINT | 8AT |
| Dynamics 0-100, s | — |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 159 |
| Fuel consumption, l (mixed) | 12,3 |
| Cost, UAH | from 3 032 100 |
| The cost of the test car, UAH | 3 242 900 |
| Competitors | Ineos Grenadier |
| LR Defender | |
| Mercedes-Benz G-Class |