Jeep Wrangler: Better Overland than bitumen

0 0 December 14, 2024 Edit this post

by Derek Ogden

What is it?

Nothing could be more Jeep than the Wrangler.

Introduced in 1986, the mid-size SUV has been central to the maker’s brand identity since World War II when it was produced by Willys.

From the CJ (Civilian Jeeps) to this day, they use a separate body and frame, rigid live axles, a tapering nose design with flared fenders, a fold-flat windscreen and can be driven without doors.

Also, with a few exceptions, they have part-time four-wheel drive systems, with high and low gearing, and standard open bodies with removable hard or soft tops.

The Wrangler was redesigned to meet safety standards and make it more comfortable on-road by upgrading the suspension, drivetrain, and interior, compared to the CJ.

The suspension on all Wranglers included trackbars and anti-roll bars, and, from the 1997 TJ onwards, front and rear coil springs instead of leaf springs.

For the 2024 Wrangler, the Pentastar V6 engine has been retired in favour of a turbocharged four-cylinder motor, developing 200kW of peak power and 400Nm of torque with fuel efficiency gains and unchanged towing capacity at 2495kg for a braked trailer.

What’s it cost?

MY24 Wrangler comes in four variants, all cheaper and with more equipment than the models they replace.

There's the Sport S four-door, which replaces the Night Eagle 4dr, Overland 4dr and Rubicon 2dr and 4dr.

Prices start at $75,950 for the entry-level Sport S and top out at $90,450 for the Rubicon 4dr.

All are before on-road costs and dealer delivery charges.

The latest Wrangler continues to champion the Jeep way with a reworked black textured seven-slot grille with dark slots, metallic bezels, and body-matched surround, boosting cooling for better performance.

Badging relates to the Jeep Trail Rated tradition, leaving no doubt as to the model and what it is good at.

The antenna is integrated into the ‘Gorilla Glass’ windscreen protecting it from brushes with low hanging flora.

Eighteen-inch alloy wheels come in a range of modern designs, with the spare clinging to the rear barn door under a soft cover.

The new 12.3-inch touchscreen is the biggest and most advanced display on Wrangler, offering a customisable home screen, plus access to the Jeep Uconnect 5 system.

Also new are wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

With one-touch operation there’s simultaneous connectivity for two Bluetooth devices, five user profiles, plus a valet mode with music preferences, apps, seat positioning, mirror angles and climate control aircon.

Wrangler features an Alpine Premium Audio System with a 552W 12-channel amplifier, eight speakers and a rear subwoofer.

The system is enhanced by active noise cancellation and acoustic laminated windshield glass.

All models now include first and second-row curtain airbags as well as the standard front and side seat-mounted airbags already fitted.

Active safety includes autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop function, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear-view camera and front and rear parking sensors.

The Wrangler range is covered by Jeep’s 5-year unlimited kilometres warranty, plus five years roadside assistance.

What’s it go like?

The interior space on offer is close to what you’d get in a medium-sized SUV.

Overland and Rubicon models now boast McKinley leather seats with 12-way power up front and four-way lumbar support, as well as a hard seat back panel.

Heritage inspired surroundings feature soft-touch furnishings with contrasting stitching.

Updates include a reworked instrument cluster and panel bolster bezels.

A rail on top of the dash acts as a mount for devices such as smartphones and cameras.

A cramped footwell is home to a solid footbrake pedal leaving next to no space for the driver’s left foot, a nod to the wagon’s left-hand drive origins.

The handbrake also lines up on the left of the transmission tunnel.

Keeping an eye on the weather? The optional one-touch top opens up the somewhat sombre cabin surroundings, letting in light and air. Got time to spare? Grab the tool kit and really free up the interior, removing roof, doors, windscreen and almost anything that’s not ‘tied down’.

The boot will take 898 litres of cargo with the rear seat backs up and 2050 litres to the roof line with the backs folded.

A rear seat reminder checks for kids or other stuff in danger of being left behind when leaving the vehicle.

The Wrangler is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine pumping out 200kW of power and 400Nm of torque.

Left behind is the V6 Pentastar motor.

On Overland, the new unit is mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and Jeep’s Selec-Trac 4×4 system.

Jeep claims combined urban/highway cycle fuel consumption of 9.2L/km for the Sport S and Overland, and 9.9L for the Rubicons, down from 9.7L and 10.3L/100km of the V6.

The test Overland recorded 15.6L and 7 .0L/100km, respectively, on recommended 95 RON premium petrol.

The Wrangler incorporates lightweight, high strength aluminium body-on-frame design with a five-link front and rear suspension, which features upper and lower high-strength steel control arms, full-width high-strength steel track bars and tuned shocks for a balanced on- and off-road performance.

On test, on the bitumen there was tyre noise from the rugged Bridgestone Duellers.

The Wrangler lives up to its Trail rating on the Rubicon in the Sierra Nevada, the Overland’s Selec-Trac 4 4 System providing automatic swapping of two- and four-wheel drive, Dana solid front and rear axles, two-speed transfer case, traction control and four skid plates.

This provides part-time low and high range, and high range and high range full-time automatic 2WD and 4WD switches according to driving conditions.

TrailCam cuts out blind spots during off-road navigation and boosts power delivery on angled bends.

Perched atop the grille the camera lens stays free from debris and automatic washing ensures clear visibility.