NEWS
off-road ability
I
t won’t be coming here until the start of next year, but Jeep has lifted the lid on its first facelift for the current Wrangler. This promises new looks from a revised grille as well as further safety and infotainment tech and, most importantly, improved off-road ability. Leading the charge, the Rubicon gains new options allowing it to be pre-modified for use with bigger tyres. These include 100:1 overall gearing in low range, as well as a new fully floating Dana 44 heavyduty rear axle (above) – and in the US, the vehicle can now be ordered with a factory-fitted Warn winch. There will also be a new Rubicon X model with 35” tyres as standard. This also gains an integrated offroad camera system as well as steel bumpers – the latter meaning it’s likely to join the long list of things we can’t have in Britain. More likely to come here is the new Willys model (below), which appears to be a halfway house on the way to full Rubicon spec. This is equipped with 33” tyres, steel rock rails and a rear locker as well as heavy-duty electrics including
pre-wiring for towing lights. Crucially for the UK market, it will be available in 4xe plug-in hybrid form. While the revised Wrangler looks broadly the same as the current model, its seven-slot grille has been tweaked to give it a new identity and there’ll be a wide range of new wheel designs to set it apart. Inside, too, the changes are modest but significant – the Uconnect 5 media offering promises to be faster and more powerful than the current system, and front and rear curtain airbags help make the vehicle safer to travel in. As always, the view from a sky-high driving position is the most valuable safety feature any car can have. For the US market, the Wrangler will be available with the existing 2.0, 3.6 and 6.4-litre petrol engines, as well as the plug-in 4xe powertrain. Details of the European version are due to be announced in the last quarter of 2023; as the company moves towards full electrification across its range, our money would be on this mid-life update coinciding with the end of traditional petrol power as an option in the UK.
4x4 6.5pp Scene News May 23.indd 7
11/04/2023 16:52
