Test drive the new Jeep Wrangler
To the left - Sahara, to the right - Rubicon. Following the signs, we will send versions of the new Jeep Wrangler on test tracks in the wilderness where any crossover would fail.
The watch on the branded touchscreen picture shows the symbolic time 19:41, recalling 1941, when the army Wyllis MB appeared. The Wrangler, the most Jeep Jeep of our time, is considered the true genetic descendant of the veteran. After the civilian series CJ (1945), the legendary genes were adopted by the first Wrangler YJ (1987), then TJ (1997) and JK (2007), and now JL has appeared, a hero in the spirit of our time - already with a touchscreen, support for smartphones and an Internet connection. radio.
Wrangler reincarnated with soul and love. The characteristic image has been changed for the better so carefully that the claim of substantial novelty at first seems sly. The format of a serious SUV, again, unchanged: frame, continuous Dana axles and huge spring suspension travel, lowering, both inter-wheel differentials with forced locks or rear limited slip, four underbody protection plates. The real Jeep is alive.
And yet it is new. LED headlights, keyless entry buttons on the door handles. For better visibility, the spare tire was outweighed 300 mm lower, and a rear-view camera was added with a moving graphic of tips. The front camera would be logical and convenient for off-road driving, but we decided to save some money.
The body is lightweight: hinged rear flap made of magnesium alloy. Removable side doors and a hinged windshield frame are aluminum - transforming the Wrangler into a maximum open one is also easier. There are also new versions of the soft top: the first simplified one folds manually, the second is shifted by an electric drive. The rigid roof can be removed in parts as before.
Folding the new soft top by hand is very simple: you just snap off a pair of clips at the edge of the windshield. And the minus of such a "cold" roof is also in the noise.
The driver's seat has retained its layout and flavor. The chair has an exhaust loop for adjusting the back, under the steering wheel there is a wheel for brightness of the interior lighting, a multi-stage wiper switch, and the assembly of the cabin with obvious flaws is familiar. But the steering wheel, instruments, the engine start button and the entire center console are good new things. The hierarchy of trim levels is also familiar: the basic and already well-equipped Sport, the rich Sahara, and on top of the Rubicon with improved cross-country ability.
Under the hoods, new engines: supercharged gasoline 2.0 (265 HP, 400 Nm) and 2.2 turbodiesel (200 HP, 450 Nm). Later there will be a 6 liter V3,0 diesel (260 hp) and a version of the simplified hybrid with an additional motor generator. Some markets are left with the upgraded V6 3.6 Pentastar petrol, but not for Russia. We also do not plan a 6-speed manual gearbox - only 8-speed automatic gearboxes will be offered under the ZF license.
The gasoline 2.0 I-4 series Global Medium Engine with an aluminum block and head, two DOHC camshafts, independent valve timing and direct injection has a separate cooling circuit for the intake, throttle and twin-scroll turbocharger, as well as a C-EGR exhaust gas recirculation system with a cooler and the Start / stop system. Passport efficiency is not bad: the 4-door Sahara promises to spend on average 8,6 liters per 100 km.
And all the cars at the presentation turned out to be diesel. The Italian 2.2 MultiJet II with a cast iron block and an aluminum head is also equipped with two camshafts, EGR and Start / stop, while it is distinguished by injection with a pressure of 2000 bar, a supercharger with variable turbine geometry and a particulate filter. Whether the need for refueling with urea will remain in Russia is not yet specified. The maximum consumption of diesel fuel - according to the company, this is for the 4-door version of the Rubicon - 10,3 l / 100 km.
The first test subject was the 4-door Rubicon with a curb weight of 2207 kg, the heaviest Wrangler of the new. We are driving in Austria, respecting the speed limits, and at this pace the MultiJet copes very confidently. You just need to adapt to the long-stroke gas pedal (which, however, is convenient off-road) and the small pauses of the automatic transmission during vigorous pedaling. The set of revolutions is smooth, the turbo lag is not annoying, in an honest manual mode you do not need to use the lever - the diesel engine pulls out even in high gears. A pleasant surprise: the motor is quite quiet.
The steering wheel is now with EGUR and on the 4-door version makes 3,2 turns from lock to lock. By light standards, it frankly lacks precision and return effort. The long wheelbase Wrangler is inert when maneuvering. However, in general, understandable and obedient - both in rear and all-wheel drive. And we will call the work of the frame machine suspension quite comfortable.
We change the version, and then we are driven by the 2-door Sahara, which is shorter by 549 mm in base and 178 kg lighter in curb weight. Such a Wrangler is noticeably more lively in dynamics and brakes better. But it requires more attention from the driver: it clearly prowls on the trajectories, and in the 2H mode it briskly shows a rear-wheel drive character. There are more steering corrections here, and it already makes 3,5 turns in the two-door versions.
There are off-road sections ahead: deep paths in the forest on the mountain, limp from the downpour. According to the signs, Sahara gets an easier route. After all, Sahara and Rubicon are very different off-road tools.
The main news is that the SUV got a drive a la the famous Super Select 4WD system from Mitsubishi. Previously, Wrangler offered only a rigid connection of the front axle (and for some markets such a scheme was left), but now it received a multi-plate clutch, which allows you to select 2H modes - strictly rear-wheel drive, 4H Auto - all-wheel drive with automatic division of torque fractions up to 50:50 and 4H Part time is a closed "center".
The instruction allows changing modes at speeds up to 72 km / h. A lowered row with automatic disconnection of electronic insurances remains in stock. Plus, the Sahara versions are assisted by a rear limited slip differential and a hill descent assist system. With such a weaponry and with a ground clearance of more than 250 mm and a good geometry of the overhangs, it was not difficult to crawl the track even on standard Bridgestone Dueler H / T road tires.
Finally, in the hands of the two-door Rubicon. These are BFGoodrich All-terrain T / A toothed tires, reinforced axles, lowering with a different gear ratio of 4: 1, forced interwheel differential locks and the ability to turn off the electric locks of the front stabilizer. Its area is really difficult: thick, slippery tentacles of roots, steep slopes of skewed relief, pits with water. But the mobilized Rubicon just rides and rides forward, not particularly straining and shocking with the articulation of the suspension. Among other things, it takes an earthen steep step almost a meter diagonally. Rover.
Russian sales of new items will begin in August. It is known that petrol versions will be offered first, diesel versions later. The previous Jeep Wrangler cost from $ 41, but there are no new prices yet. Direct competitors? The next generation of the legendary Land Rover Defender SUV has not yet been shown even from afar.
| A type | ||
| SUV | SUV | SUV |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | ||
4882 / 1894 / 1838 (1901) | 4334 / 1894 / 1839 (1879) | 4334 / 1894 / 1839 (1841) |
| Wheelbase, mm | ||
| 3008 | 2459 | 2459 |
| Curb weight, kg | ||
| 2158 (2207) | 2029 (2086) | 1915 (1987) |
| Ground clearance, mm | ||
| 242 (252) | 260 (255) | 260 (255) |
| engine's type | ||
| Diesel, R4, turbo | Diesel, R4, turbo | Petrol., R4, turbo |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | ||
| 2143 | 2143 | 1995 |
| Power, hp with. at rpm | ||
| 200 at 3500 | 200 at 3500 | 265 at 5250 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm at rpm | ||
| 450 at 2000 | 450 at 2000 | 400 at 3000 |
| Transmission, drive | ||
| 8-st. Automatic gearbox, full | 8-st. Automatic gearbox, full | 8-st. Automatic gearbox, full |
| Max. speed km / h | ||
| 180 (160) | 180 (160) | 177 (156) |
| Acceleration to 100 km / h, from | ||
| 9,6 (10,3) | 8,9 (9,6) | ND |
| Fuel consumption (horizontal / route / mixture), l | ||
| 9,6 / 6,5 / 7,6 (10,3 / 6,5 / 7,9) | 9,0 / 6,5 / 7,4 | 10,8 / 7,1 / 9,5 (11,4 / 7,5 / 8,9) |
Trackhawk is like American hot rods, which are built for mighty motors and impress only with dynamics on the straight lines. We took the risk of standing on an empty stretch, turning off the electronics insurance and drowning the gas to the floor. The Hemi V8 screamed, the Pirelli P Zero tires screeched in the axle box, and the SUV was thrown forward as if against physics.
So that the strongman does not overstrain, the drive elements and the ZF 8-speed automatic transmission are reinforced for the magnitude of the moment. In Track mode, the gearbox changes steps with the sharpness of a karateka, and the car jerks all over. Plus the loud boring sound of the compressor. In general, not a Jeep, but an action movie about high fuel consumption with special effects.
Track success is in doubt. In sport modes, the steering wheel remains relaxed, and the suspension does not add much rigidity. Reinforced Brembo brakes with 350-400mm discs actually slow down with laziness, although the pace is far from racing. Yes, the outrageous Jeep won the image arms race. But the main question is whether it makes much sense to choose the Trackhawk for $ 106 if the reasonable balance of the SRT version is cheaper by $ 556. - let's leave it open.
