Jeep Wrangler - The Remaking Of An Icon

Think off-roader and two manufacturers immediately spring to mind. Land Rover is of course our home-grown offering, but from across the pond there is of course Jeep.

Best known is the Wrangler, the looks of which hark back to the Willys that began production during World War II and then became known as Jeeps. I gather that over 650,000 military Jeeps were manufactured and I was lucky enough to drive one around a car park some years ago. Another one off the bucket list ticked! But I digress…

The Wrangler has recently undergone a makeover which seemed as good enough reason as any to borrow one for a week.

Fast Facts

Jeep Wrangler Sahara 2-Dr
200hp 2,143cc turbodiesel engine
Torque 450Nm @ 2000rpm
8-speed automatic gearbox
Command-Trac Full Time 4x4
0-62mph in 8.9 seconds
Top speed 112mph
Combined economy 37.7mpg
Emissions 198g/km CO2
Towing weight 1497kg (braked)
Kerb weight 1920kg
Price £44,865 (£46,940 as tested)

If you like to get noticed, head down to your nearest Jeep showroom and sign on the dotted line. Rarely has a test car attracted so much attention, all positive. One or two of the admirers I spoke to did rather baulk at the price however… A good PCP deal and all will be fine.

The go-anywhere looks would count for nothing if the Wrangler was not capable in the rough stuff. I can happily report that the Jeep will keep going long after most drivers have lost their bottle and turned around to find an easier route.

How do I know? Well on the UK media launch earlier this year, Jeep had the assembled throng tackling boulder-strewn Lake District tracks that would have challenged a mountain goat!

Whether anyone actually needs such hardcore capabilities is debatable, but sometimes just knowing that you can is what counts.

During my week in Yorkshire, I took the Wrangler on some of my more challenging local routes. Needless to say, it tackled them with aplomb.
I also journeyed to Northumberland for a few days holiday, a chance not afforded to us on the launch to tackle a decent stretch of on-road driving.

The Wrangler boasts plenty of power, all of which is readily accessible via the smooth-shifting automatic gearbox.

Motorway cruising was reasonably relaxed, though wind and road noise do rather intrude.

The fast A and B-road sections of the journey were surprisingly good fun. In isolation the pronounced body-roll should be a demerit, but I must confess it rather added to the challenge of piloting the Jeep and certainly kept me awake on the late-night return journey.

The ride can be on the choppy side, all that off-road prowess does come at a price.

The driving position is a somewhat compromised in right-hand drive form and I found my left leg aching due to lack of a support.

Economy over the test period was rather disappointing. I struggled to break 30mpg, even when not driving in my usual exuberant manner.

With a spell of fine weather accompanying the test period, I removed the two separate roof panels that cover the front compartment. Once you have the knack, this can be done quite quickly but being tall helps. Jeep handily supply a storage bag to put them in, but without the necessary origami skills, they were carefully placed in the load bay with a blanket to protect them.

With the roof panels removed, all is well up to about 40mph. Anything above and it all gets rather blustery and noisy.

For the brave, you can of course remove the rest of the roof, not a five-minute job I would imagine.

Sahara-spec brings with it all the bells and whistles you would expect, though I would recommend the ‘Launch Pack’ (£1300) which adds leather upholstery, heated front seats, keyless entry and blind spot monitoring.

Those reading this review carefully might have already concluded that I was not a huge fan of the Wrangler as it clearly has its faults.

The reality is that nothing could be further from the truth. I enjoyed every mile travelled and gazed longingly as the collection driver disappeared out of view at the end of the test period.

The Wrangler gets under your skin, charms with its looks and capabilities and rather like a classic car, you easily overlook its foibles.

One of my motoring journalist mates was so smitten that he is now a proud owner and I’m rather jealous. Head down to your nearest Jeep showroom, ask for an extended test drive and you just might be too!