2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon | UK Review

One of the interesting things about staying on both sides of the Atlantic is the opportunity to view the automotive world from both ends of a telescope. The last Jeep Wrangler I drove in the US a few years ago was as basic as it gets: a two-door with a fabric roof, a V6 engine that seemed to deliver more noise than progress, and a six-speed manual transmission. It was a simple, rugged SUV that cost the equivalent of around £30,000 at the time, which explains its popularity there – last year Jeep sold 155,000 in the US, down from a peak of 240,000 in 2018.

But on our side of the pond, the Wrangler has long been a much more exotic offering. Jeep only sells a few hundred each year, with that number capped by fleet CO2 averages rather than limited demand. Therefore, we only have the binary choice between five-door hardtop versions in Sahara and Rubicon trims. Our sole powertrain now is the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine with a standard eight-speed automatic transmission. But despite the price range, which starts at £61,125 for the Sahara and £63,125 for the Rubicon, Jeep UK managing director Kris Cholmondeley says a significant percentage of British buyers are immediately spending a lot more on upgrading their new cars.

Some minor revisions gave Jeep all the excuse it needed to allow it to reacquaint itself with the stripped-down range and drive both on-road and on greenways in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. There were a few Grand Cherokees there too – which is why you’ll see them in some pictures – but this story is all about the more rugged charm of the modestly tweaked Wrangler.

It won’t take long to answer the question “What’s new?” The Wrangler has always evolved at a gentle pace over its long life, and the JL facelift is probably one that only Jeep nerds can recognize from the outside. As a reminder, the seven-slot grille is new and the headlights are now LED units. There are bigger changes in the cabin with a new 12.3-inch touchscreen in the center of the dashboard. British specification remains generous – as you’d expect given the pricing – with both Sahara and Rubicon getting heated, electrically adjustable seats, leather upholstery and a nine-speaker Alpine audio system. Various active safety systems including forward collision warning are now standard, as are front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. However, there is no 360-degree camera system and no automatic off-road modes. The front and rear differentials are locked by a rocker switch, and four-wheel drive and low gear are selected via a large mechanical lever next to the gear selector. The old-fashioned feel is enhanced by the presence of a real cigarette lighter in the dashboard, not just a 12V port.

While the Sahara is more road-friendly, the Rubicon is designed for tougher off-road use. It features smaller 17-inch wheels that can accommodate thicker and thicker tires, as well as a lower-ratio rear axle and an electrically disconnectable anti-roll bar to improve wheel articulation. Given the choice of which car I wanted to drive, I naturally chose the Rubicon.

Most of the experience feels very familiar. It’s a shame that the diesel engine option has been removed. The old 2.1-liter four-cylinder was loud and coarse, but had plenty of torque and a real sense of unstoppability that suited the car’s character. It could also result in half-decent fuel economy, and although the 2.0-litre petrol engine in the Rubicon has an official combined figure of 24.8mpg, the trip computer suggested it was barely managing half that when it got over some The rougher and rockier routes plagued parts of Yorkshire. On the plus side, the turbo engine’s manners are much better on the road, and its high-end power gives the Wrangler a sense of excitement that the diesel never achieved, which is definitely an advantage when overtaking. The petrol engine accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds, more than two seconds faster.

Thanks to the combination of a separate chassis, live axles at both ends and recirculating ball steering, the Wrangler also handles much better than you’d expect. At lower speeds the ride is definitely strenuous, especially on rougher surfaces, and dealing with dips and compressions at high speed results in a slight lift as the dampers struggle to compensate and digest wheel travel. But the low-ratio steering feels impressively precise for a rack-less system, especially compared to my memories of the Ineos Grenadier’s much more opinionated helm.

Although the Wrangler’s on-road limits are low, especially when running BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tires, they are so well marked that there is no excuse for intentionally exceeding them. And as Britain has become busier and traffic slower – something that seems to be true even in the quieter areas of North Yorkshire – having a car that inherently doesn’t exceed speed limits has become a bit of a bonus. The outdated suspension doesn’t feel at all like the constraint it probably should; Jeep built it long enough to have tamed it impressively.

Leaving the tarmac in a Wrangler is always like that moment in a nature film when a penguin leaps from an iceberg into the sea, transitioning from awkward waddling to effortless swimming. The Jeep is fine on the road but excellent off-road, and although our tour over some rocky, muddy trails was far from a trip to the Rubicon Trail proper or a proper mud pack, it was enough to prove that the Jeep The Wrangler can handle most things with ease. Obviously it’s not click and go like a Terrain Response equipped Land Rover, there’s a need to think about the right combination of gear ratios and differentials before tackling anything. But it can handle slippery rocks and sucking mud without breaking a sweat.

While the Wrangler has long been a minority choice in the UK, Jeep deserves praise for staying true to its most famous model. The market for traditional off-roaders has changed massively as buyers have switched to either fancier lifestyle models or crew cab pickups. Prices have also risen significantly – the revised Wrangler is almost 50 percent more expensive than the JL generation with the introductory version in 2019. But before anyone makes the point too much: The Wrangler remains cheaper than the Ineos Grenadier – and that The case is also larger and more powerful, but significantly less precise on the road and not obviously more talented off-road.

The Wrangler’s disregard for fashion has long been a big part of its charm. Yes, it’s nice that it now integrates with your phone and offers Apple CarPlay, but the biggest appeal lies in the fact that much of the experience recognizably harkens back to Jeep’s early days – like the vintage look after at the front via the folding hood to the separate front fenders and the rushing air noise that is generated by the outer housing aerodynamics as speed increases. There really is nothing else like it in Europe. How many modern cars can you really say that about?

Engine: 2.0 liter four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, switchable all-wheel drive with a short range
Horsepower): 272 at 5,250 rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295 at 3,000 rpm
0-60 mph: 7.6 sec
Maximum speed: 99 mph (limited)
Weight: 2,100kg
CO2: 269g/km
MPG: 24.8
Price: from £63,125