Hell, Yeah!
The new Jeep Wrangler arrives on British roads
(and trails) ready to assert itself as an off-road champion.
It brings new engines, new drivetrains, new tech... and a paint colour called Hella Yella. In the face of a steep set of prices, will Britain’s 4x4 buyers Just Say No... or react with a resounding Hell, Yeah?
The Jeep Wrangler has been an off-road champion among 4x4s for three generations now. And here’s the fourth: the new JL model, which we first drove in Austria last summer, has finally arrived in Britain.
Things have changed, a lot, from the previous- generation model. The entire range is automatic. There’s a turbocharged petrol option. The Rubicon model, with its locking diffs and ultra- low crawler gears, is now available in diesel form. And price-wise, the range starts at £44,865.
That’s a big ticket for what’s meant to be a down-to-earth off-road machine. But as you look around the new Wrangler, it’s hard not to feel that if anything can live up to the expectations which come with such a hefty sum, this is it.
There’s still that likeable chunkiness to the Wrangler that assures you it’s the real thing. Visually, the familiar shape remains, along with that trademark seven-slot grille. Jeep is so confident in its image, in fact, that it doesn’t even bother putting its name on the front anymore.
That’s enough ogling for now, though. We’re in the Lake District and Jeep has sorted out a route taking in some of the regions best roads – and trails. And sure enough, after a short stint that hints at the new Wrangler’s improved on-road manners, we divert off the tarmac and on to Parkamoor – a lane that’s famous for its various rock-crawls.
The Wrangler we’re in for this part of the route is a two-door, in Sahara trim. That’s the base-spec model – so if it can shine, there is no need to fear for the rest of the range.
Knocking the transfer box down into low range, it’s nice to be using a mechanical shift rather than twisting a dial or pushing a button. The Wrangler has a two-wheel drive setting for the road, plus high-range four-wheel drive modes with and without a centre differential (you use ‘full-time’ for the road and ‘part-time’ off-road). Finally, there’s low-range, for the sort of off-road work we’re going to be doing here.
On top of this, the Rubicon gets limited-slip diffs, electric front and rear lockers and a disconnecting front anti-roll bar. In other words, if you’re going to go big, go Rubicon.
Either way, our Sahara has been climbing up the trail at no more than a plod so far, taking any rock or gradient in its stride. We’re holding ourselves in 4L as any sane soul would do on Parkamoor, but even so our Wrangler’s new eight-speed auto box is working just as well as it did on the road to seamlessly retain momentum – crucial for off-roading.
There may be no manual gearbox option anymore, but the eight-speed is far better than the old five. It’s also mated (in this instance) to Jeep’s new 2.2-litre Multijet turbo-diesel, which generates 200bhp and 332lbf.ft.The reality of this is that our boggo Wrangler is taking Parkamoor at a stroll, finding traction and clawing its way up to the summit, over damp rocks and uneven terrain, despite being shod with road-biased tyres on 18” rims.
Both Sahara and posh-spec Overland models get 18” alloys as standard, whereas the Rubicon is issued with 17” wheels. That shows Jeep’s intent. The smaller diameter works better for off-road situations, but actually usually improves on-road comfort too. Rubber, unsurprisingly, is a little more giving than solid metal.
There’s a brief respite at the summit, where on a better day you can see Coniston Water. Our view is mainly of low cloud, but it’s going to be something special up here if the restored Bluebird ever comes home. Actually, it’s always special on Parkamoor, and even with gravity on your side the journey back down is every bit as technical as the climb up. Once again, the Wrangler takes it at a stroll; it may be auto-only, but the Americans know their gearboxes and engine braking is never in short supply.
Having done the tricky off-road stuff in a Sahara, now it’s time for some more extensive road work. Timed it perfectly to swap into a Rubicon, then.
This time we’re in a four-door with the 2.0-litre petrol engine. Which is good, but what’s really good is that it’s yellow. ‘Hella Yella’, it’s called, and if that doesn’t make you smile you need to loosen up.
While its off-road ability was never really in doubt, for Jeep to make a success of the Wrangler in Britain it needs to be more than just an off-road weapon. As we wind around the peripheral roads to the west of Windermere, it becomes clear that it is.
Inside the Wrangler, there’s clear daylight between this new model and the old JK. It’s far more refined; still not a soft-edged SUV, but you could use it for a long journey no problem. The transmission tunnel encroaches into the driver’s footwell, meaning there is nowhere to place your left foot, but that apart its ergonomics are actually rather good.
Still, the layout in here has a slightly old- school feel – but in a way that’s easy to like. The materials are good and the build quality is sound, even if there was a creak or two from the roof in the four-door. That’s one of the USPs with the Wrangler, though – it remains the only open-air four-door SUV you can buy.
There are other plus points inside, too. All models get navigation and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto as standard, alongside an 8.4” U-Connect infotainment system. It works well, even with gloves on, and doesn’t suffer from too much lag. Visibility is good, the cabin doesn’t pick up much outside noise and there is a very clear rear-view camera for when you want to park up.
Before you reach your destination, however, you’ll be driving a truck whose reassuring heft doesn’t make it hard work to operate. Its steering is weighty but communicative, matching it perfectly to the Wrangler’s personality, while its brakes are progressive and both engines work well with that gearbox.
But now we’re heading through Grizedale Forest and about to test the Rubicon off-road. Actually, if you know the green lane through here you’ll know it’s no test at all for such a dedicated machine; still, though, we disconnect the front anti-roll bar and activate its limited-slip diffs, just because we can.
For all they’re needed, we might as well have left it in tow-wheel drive. In its longer four-door guise, the Wrangler feels like it’s merely parading down the trails like a giant, sure-footed and unshakeable from its trajectory as it makes its way steadily to wherever you point its nose.
The extra articulation and traction afforded the Rubicon, along with its standard BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain tyres, means it is arguably the best four-wheel drive vehicle out of the box on the market today. Certainly, I would be extremely worried if I were the new Defender waiting behind the scenes and peering through the curtain to see what the opposition is doing.
There are a couple of things to be aware of with the new Wrangler, though. First, while Jeep’s new 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine may produce a healthy 272bhp, and indeed be quicker and quieter, it’s not the engine you want. The diesel has more torque and from lower down the rev range, while the petrol sounds asthmatic when pushed. We found it over-revving off-road to compensate for its higher torque band, too.
Combine this with an average mpg of 15.4 (yes, that’s what we saw on the dial) and really you can’t make a case for the petrol, especially when the diesel costs the same.
Which brings us to the second point we need to flag up. A starting price of £44,865 is particularly steep, especially when you consider the other two-door off-road options: the Suzuki Jimny starts at £15,499 and the Toyota Landcruiser at £33,435. Yes, the Wrangler is the Real Thing. but those are very Real Things too.
The one saving grace is that from here, it’s quite a small hurdle to jump the Overland or Rubicon model. A diesel two-door Rubicon costs £46,865, and it only takes another £1500 to make it a four-door.
There’s no question that the new Wrangler is an absolute titan off-road. You could see it as the equivalent of something like a Porsche 911: you don’t just buy a car, you buy the benefits of a specialist manufacturer’s undisputed, time-served mastery of what it does.
Add to this the Wrangler’s much improved road manners and cooler-than-ever looks, and it’s a very appealing vehicle. When you find yourself having to make excuses to justify the price, however, the clear sense of value that once surrounded the YJ, TJ and early JK has been lost.
At £10,000 less, the Wrangler would have been a no-brainer. Instead, you have to go looking for those excuses. Admittedly, the likelihood of cast-iron resale values is a very good one – but even then, it’ll be doing well to match the Landcruiser in this respect.
Forget all that, though. The Wrangler is a brilliant off-road vehicle, both in its natural habitat and in general. We don’t like the price tag but we love the truck. As we said at the outset, if anything can live up to the expectations which come with such a hefty sum, this is it. It doesn’t even need to be in Hella Yella – the new JL still makes it very easy to say Hell, Yeah.
