Jeep Wrangler - the star still shines

First glance and you might think it's just a modernization. But none of these things! The well-known look has been slightly tweaked, but underneath we have a completely new design. Fortunately, he is still an unshaven tough guy from faraway America. This is the new Jeep Wrangler.

JK generation just out of sale Jeep Wrangler exceeded the company's expectations. The Ohio plant was operating at full capacity almost throughout the production period, which meant extended waiting times for customers. Hardly anyone was discouraged by it, because it is one of the last real off-road vehicles, which we can traverse roads, wilderness, rivers, deserts and even rocky trails without any modifications. Moreover, the legendary brand is associated with winning the Second World War. The decision to start work on the new generation was made a few years ago, today we know that it does not differ much from the well-received predecessor.

The concept remained the same. The basis the new Jeep Wrangler The JL series is a solid support frame equipped with an engine, gearbox, reducer and rigid driving axles based on coil springs. The body is mounted on it in two versions, a short three-door and a long five-door, still called Unlimited. The body is still universal and can be disassembled, so depending on your needs, you can get rid of the roof over your head, the entire hard-top, and even the side doors. The windshield can be placed on the hood and all operations can be performed by two people without excessive effort.

Jeep chose not to even experiment with the appearance. It takes a really skilled eye to immediately distinguish the new generation Wrangler from the old one. The quickest way to notice the difference is by looking at the new shaped bumpers and lamps equipped with LED technology. The engine hood is now bulged. The rest of the details have changed in a very subtle way, even the mounting of the spare wheel on the tailgate looks almost identical. But who thinks that is wrong the new Wrangler there is nothing new about it. Yes, it has a lot.

Quality matters. The new Jeep Wrangler

Those who dealt with the predecessor certainly noticed the manufacturer's rather sloppy approach to the workmanship and quality of the materials used. It was visible mainly in models from the beginning of production, i.e. from 2006. The facelift, carried out three years later under the supervision of Fiat, changed a lot for the better, the bad impression is a thing of the past, but the new generation beats the previous one. We will not find any unfinished plastics or protruding panels anymore, and the quality of the materials is flawless. It is no longer just a utility car, if we do not choose the basic version of the Sport, but the more expensive Sahara or Rubicon, it can be treated as an awesome SUV. Of course, this in no way detracts from the all-terrain capability of the new Jeep.

What I have to complain about the new Wrangleris a definite reload of the dashboard. There are a lot of buttons on it, including those for controlling the windows in the doors, which may seem quite difficult for a novice user to learn. Of course, this also has the advantage that once you remember where the buttons are used, it is easier to access frequently used functions and systems. You do not need to explore the dark corners of the on-board computer for this. Controlling the drives, disconnecting ESP, the start-stop system or anesthesia of the parking sensors takes literally a moment. In your free time, e.g. while waiting for the green light, you can hang your eye on one of the many amusing details, such as the images of the Jeep Willys or the characteristic seven-slot grill located in different parts of the cabin.

The spaciousness of the interior Jeep Wrangler has not changed significantly. The front is "nice" tight, and the seat is positioned at an ideal distance from the door, which on the one hand allows for comfortable travel, on the other hand allows you to look out the window to control the chosen path in the field. Removable doors have a double system of stops, standard found in all modern cars, and additional ones made of fabric strips. The latter are of course decorative, but they can also disturb some passengers, because they "enter" the cabin. There is a huge amount of headroom in the rear of the five-door version - when leaning forward, you only need to be careful with the speakers mounted on the center brace. You can hit them painfully. There is plenty of room for the feet, so passengers in trekking shoes should not complain, there is no more frenzy around the knees, but there is still slack.

Of course, the short body is noticeably worse in this area. The front seats tilt quite a long way forward, so a little agility is enough to get in and scramble back out. Contrary to appearances, it is not tight there at all, and the knees will not suffer even in adults. This comfort is in no way paid for by the sacrifices of the front seats. On the other hand, the trunk in the short version is symbolic (192 l), so to carry more than two small backpacks, the car must change into a double one. The Unlimited version is much better, in which 533 liters will enter the trunk, whatever we want.

The new Wrangler is just like any other modern car and offers a whole range of modern entertainment and safety solutions. As standard, the multimedia system is operated via the Uconnect 7-inch touchscreen with bluetooth. In more expensive specifications, an 8-inch screen is offered, and the system has support for Apple Carplay and Android Auto. The safety systems include the brake assistant and the towed trailer control system.

Two hearts, or what engines the new Jeep Wrangler offers

The Pentastar series gasoline engine used so far, despite its excellent market opinion, had to give way to a unit adapted to our times. His place in the new version of the Wrangler it takes a four-cylinder 2.0 turbo unit with 272 hp and 400 Nm torque. It works with an eight-speed automatic as standard. Unfortunately, these engines will not be added to the offer until the beginning of next year, so at the presentation we were dealing with a second novelty.

It is a diesel engine with four cylinders, but a displacement of 2.2 liters. This engine, like its predecessor, 2.8 CRD, generates 200 HP of power and a torque of 450 Nm. He, too, is compatible only with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Commercial offer the new Jeep Wrangler includes three trim levels: basic Sport, luxury Sahara and all-terrain Rubicon. The first two use Command-Trac all-wheel drive with a 2,72: 1 reduction gear. The Rubicon, on the other hand, has a reinforced Dana 44 rear axle, a Rock-Trac drivetrain with a reduced ratio of 4,0: 1, in addition, it has full axle locks, MT all-terrain tires and an electrically disconnectable front stabilizer for better curvature and hence off-road properties.

We were to feel the difference between the two types of drive on the prepared off-road route, testing long versions of the Sahara and Rubicon. While many of its features were unavailable for low ground clearance or two-wheel drive vehicles, apparently for Wrangler turned out to be a bun with butter. Both varieties completed the route without any problems.

It's kind of Rubicon's "problem" that his perfect chassis did not have the opportunity to prove its advantage in this show, but also a clear signal that it does not always have to be chosen for off-road riding. The latter is trivial, even in terms of off-road dimensions - the ground clearance varies between 232 and 260 mm depending on the version, and the approach and departure angles are one of the most impressive among all-terrain vehicles (front: 35-36 degrees; rear: 29-31 degrees ). In addition, the bumpers are placed very high, which increases the ability to "run" on high obstacles. You just have to watch out for the lower radiator grille, which is made of plastic as standard and can be easily damaged. The Mopar accessories catalog, which is already ready due to early sale, will certainly come to your aid Wrangler in United States. The standard wading depth is 762 mm, and the drain plugs in the floor make it easy to drain excess water (or rather sludge) and wash the interior with a hose - like in the good old days.

And that's what it is new Jeep Wrangler. It does not pretend anything, it is fully usable if we need it, but also convenient if it is to serve only as an effective bulb.

Price-list the new Jeep Wrangler opens the three-door Sport version with a diesel engine, valued at 201,9 thousand. zloty. Sahara and Rubicon with the same unit cost the same, i.e. 235,3 thousand. zloty. The gasoline engine will not be offered in the basic specification, and the price of the two more expensive varieties is 220,3 thousand. zloty. The surcharge for the five-door Unlimited version is EUR 17,2 thousand in each case. zloty.