JEEP WRANGLER SAHARA

What is it? The ‘new’ JL model Wrangler has been with us a few years now, and according to a lot of Jeep folk, it’s leaps and bounds better than the JK Wrangler it replaced. I’m not suggesting of course that the the older JK was a bad vehicle, it isn’t, it’s just that this new model includes many, many improvements.

On road I had to laugh the other day, I overheard someone saying that this new version was sluggish and docile, and not very good at all. My rebuttal was simple, with 272bhp on tap from the 2.0 litre petrol engine, it’s anything but sluggish and docile!

Press the accelerator and it certainly puts a smile on your face, but I had to keep reminding myself that despite its instant umph, it’s still a short wheel base Jeep on a proper chassis and coil springs underneath, and to ‘take it easy’ on certain roads.

Saying that, for a traditional 4x4, the Sahara handles really well, considering. Yes the steering is a tad heavy and a bit numb, and the ride is inevitably choppy for a short wheel base over certain roads, but it’s never uncomfortable, it’s just as you expect, really.

We took the Sahara on quite a few decent trips, from Wales to Yorkshire and not once did we find it tiresome, in fact I was smiling for most of the time, as it’s a fun vehicle to drive, it’s far nicer and comfier than the old Defender, as was the outgoing JK, and TJ before that.

Off road Even with road biased tyres the Sahara took me where I wanted to go. If I needed to go further afield there’s always the Rubicon with its dislocating sways bars and front and rear lockers. Granted, the latter make tackling the rough stuff a lot easier, but that doesn’t mean a Sahara isn’t capable of epic stuff.

When four-wheel power is required, the Command-Trac 4x4 System, standard on Sahara, shifts into action to help you get through with ease. Command-Trac is a proven shift-on-the-fly system, with a 2.72:1 low range for rock crawling, and neutral for available flat towing.

Interior Let’s get the usual negative out of the way first, the drivers footwell is annoying as the transmission tunnel encroaches on where your left foot naturally rests, just where the clutch pedal should be. Annoying as it initially is, it’s something you get used to, and after just a few days you adjust yourself to accommodate the lack of space.

The seats are very comfortable for a fat lad like me, but they lack lateral support. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but as I mentioned earlier, with 272bhp on tap you’re tempted to use it. Although the Wrangler itself remains upright when tackling twisty roads, the seats didn’t do too well keeping me in one spot!

Being the short wheel base model, clambering into the back wasn’t the easiest for a 6ft 2” 19 stone fat bloke, but let’s be honest, how often will the average owner want to cart someone like me around in the back? To be honest, if I was to buy one I’d remove the rear bench seat completely, which is easily done using two clips, ready for the weekend. Even with the rear seats in place and folded forward, there’s a surprising amount of space to be filled. On one trip to Wales we packed it with my 1650 Peli case, Robens Vista 400 tent, 2 camp chairs, a couple of tables, 3 BBQs, my Lifesaver 20 litre jerry can and a load of other bits and bobs that would slide between the internal roll cage and removable hard top.

Back up front there are 2 cup holders behind the gear stick, all the buttons and switches are within easy reach and there’s a decent amount of cubby space. Add to that a great driving position and you’ll find yourself quite happy behind the wheel.

Safety and tech Wrangler features over 65 available safety features including Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path Detection and Parkview rear back up camera with dynamic grid lines. Keeping things upright there’s also electronic stability control (ESC) with electronic roll mitigation and four standard air bags, in case things go pear-shaped!

The instrument cluster features a 7” thin-film transistor (TFT) information LED display in full colour and allows the driver to configure information in more than 100 ways. Integrated buttons on the steering wheel control audio, voice and speed functions, allowing you to keep your hands on the wheel at all times, and of course the Uconnect 8.4” touchscreen system has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

No matter which Jeep you drive, they have the best wash wipe system of any vehicle I’ve ever driven. Pull the stalk and you are momentarily blinded by an ocean of water that’s shot onto the windscreen.

To be fair, with the windscreen being at such a steep angle, you need a good washer as the amount of bugs you’ll kill is astronomical!

Engine ’n’ transmission For the UK market the Wrangler gets 2 engines, a 2.2ltr turbo diesel and the 2.0ltr turbocharged petrol, both are Euro 6/D compliant and linked to an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

The former delivers 200bhp and returns around 29mpg whilst the latter delivers 272bhp and returns around 26mpg. Both feature Stop Start technology.

Conclusion You buy a Wrangler because you want a Wrangler, it’s as simple as that, and you accept its misgivings, though to be fair, there aren’t many of ‘em.

Does it drive like a car? Of course not, expecting that, is like buying a kitten and being surprised that your couch has been ripped to shreds, or living off McDonalds for a month and wondering why you’re suddenly fat. That said, the electronic stability control does a really good job of making it easy to live with on a daily basis.

At some point I’d love to own a one, a short wheel base Rubicon, whether it’s a an TJ, JK or newer JL, I don’t care, I just want one.

price: 2-door starts at £46,315 more at » https://www.jeep.co.uk/wrangler-jl