Jeep Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler remains one of the most butch and dominating SUVs worldwide. The Indian spec Wrangler looks nothing short of a mean machine on the road due to its large as well as proportionate dimensions. The Jeep Wrangler is a mammoth on wheels as this capable off-roader gets massive tyres. At the front, it gets Jeep’s signature seven-slat grille that now gets an angular pattern with meshed wires. The grille of the SUV is flanked by round all-LED headlights that take design inspiration from the Jeep CJ5 of the 1950s. The Wrangler gets massive bumpers and its fog lamps have been neatly placed at the lower half of the SUV.

The Jeep Wrangler is available in India only in the five-door version and it is quite a long SUV. This hard-core off-roader is based on a body-on-frame platform and it gets a lot of traditional Jeep elements too. For instance, the JL-series Jeep Wrangler gets hood latches and exposed door hinges that add to its muscular character. Moreover, the rectangle-shaped windows and boxy design look good and it even gets Jeep’s branding near the front fender. At the rear, the Wrangler gets LED taillights and its spare wheel is mounted on the tailgate. The Jeep Wrangler is currently available in India in five different colour shades. They are Granite Crystal, Bright White, Firecracker Red, Sting Grey, and Black. 

The new Jeep Wrangler SUV measures 4882 mm in length, 1894 mm in width, and 1838 mm in height. This massive off-roader gets a humongous wheelbase of 3008 mm and thus there is an ample amount of space inside the cabin. Moreover, the Jeep Wrangler gets a massive ground clearance of 217 mm, which is more than enough to tackle all sorts of speed breakers and rough patches. In fact, roads or no roads, the Jeep Wrangler will be pretty comfortable on all sorts of terrain. The Wrangler also gets a large boot space with a total capacity of 897 litres. 

The Jeep Wrangler is rough and tough from the outside but on the inside, it now feels much more sophisticated, thanks to the addition of premium inserts and new modern-day features. The Wrangler gets an all-black cabin along with premium red inserts that add to the sportiness of the SUV. However, to get inside the cabin, one has to really climb on the SUV as it doesn’t get any footboard. The interior layout of the Jeep Wrangler feels really good. It gets a chunky three-spoke steering wheel with Jeep’s old logo that feels nice to hold as it gets a leather finish. The main interior design layout remains around the target of providing a robust built as well as a comfortable experience to its customers. Jeep Wrangler happens to have all the necessary creature comfort features to make it stand apart in the crowd. 

Moreover, the dashboard of the Wrangler looks very neat and everything feels well appointed. Taking the centre stage of the dashboard is a large 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay connectivity and even gets in-built navigation. The infotainment system also gets a section called Off-Road pages that shows data related to the off-road credentials, steering, pitch, and roll angles along with a few critical engine gauges. In terms of features, the Wrangler also gets a good sound system, dual-zone climate control, etc.  

The new fourth-generation model of the Jeep Wrangler gets the sole petrol engine in the Indian market. The Wrangler is now powered by the new BS6 compliant 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine that replaces the old 3,0-litre V6 mill. This new turbo petrol motor churns out 268 PS of maximum power and 400 Nm of peak torque. While the power figure of this new mill is slightly lesser than the engine it replaces, it develops a colossal amount of torque which is available much lower in the rev range and thus offers good rideability. However, the engine and its performance remain one of the strongest in the rivalries. Additionally, the exhaust rumble of the Wrangler is a boon to auto enthusiasts. The engine comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and it offers fast gearshifts and an instant punch.    

Jeep Wrangler is a hard-core off-roader and so it gets a host of mechanical and technological updates to showcase its off-road prowess in real-world scenarios. The Jeep Wrangler gets the ‘Selec-Trac’ full-time 4WD system with a 2.72:1 crawl ratio along with heavy-duty suspension even in the base-spec Unlimited variant. The Rubicon variant of the Jeep Wrangler even gets the company’s ‘Rock-Trac’ full-time 4WD system and sports a 4:1 crawl ratio. Moreover, it also features electronically locking front and rear differentials electronically operated sway bar, and performance suspension. The new Jeep Wrangler offers great performance, however, its fuel economy isn’t that great. The Jeep Wrangler’s ARAI-claimed fuel efficiency is just 12.1 kmpl.

The new Jeep Wrangler is based on a body-on-frame platform and coupled with its massive proportions, one cannot expect a good ride and handling capabilities from an SUV of this kind at all, and the same is the case with the Wrangler too. The all-new fourth-generation Jeep Wrangler gets massive 18-inch alloy wheels and it rides on fat knobby tyres with thick sidewalls. The tyres of the Wrangler help it excel in off-roading. Meanwhile, when we speak of road performance it's the engine that makes you happy. However, the ride quality starts to suffer a lot on bumpy and paved roads. The main setup of Wrangler has been tuned more towards the rough patch of the road or mainly the odd-road sections. 

Thanks to the knobby tyres, one can constantly feel undulations inside the cabin even while cruising on smooth surfaces. However, in general, the Jeep Wrangler offers a smooth ride quality and once the roads start getting bad, it truly shines as it is a proper off-road machine. However, on the road, one can constantly feel body roll and vertical movements at high speeds as it is a body-on-frame SUV. If we talk about its steering wheel feedback, it feels quite lifeless. The steering wheel of the Wrangler feels vague and it doesn’t offer confidence to push it hard on the highways. All in all, the Wrangler is a great off-roader and performs decently on-road.   

Being an American brand, Jeep is destined to make cars oriented to more safety. The Wrangler takes the safety of the Jeep segment in India a step ahead of its rivals. The new Jeep Wrangler gets a host of active and passive safety features. The SUV is built on a proven tradition of smart design combined with preventative features to help keep you safe and secure. It gets safety features like front and side airbags, ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), and Brake Assist. It even gets an Electronic Stability Control with Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control, Electronic Roll-Over mitigation, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, automatic headlamps, etc. Some other safety features of the SUV include  ISOFIX child seat mounts, a high-speed alert system, all-wheel disc brakes, rear parking sensors a reverse parking camera, etc. The India-spec Jeep Wrangler has not been crash-tested by the Global NCAP yet. However, it seems like a well-built rough, and tough SUV.