Best you sit, because this might sting a bit.
American carmaker Jeep is immensely proud of their much-awaited Wrangler because it is, by every measurable metric, better than the car it replaces. It’s more efficient & aerodynamic (two properties we never thought to associate with a Wrangler), and it packs proper big-car features befitting its not-so-affordable positioning. And for the first time, owning one doesn’t require a sizeable sacrifice in the way of refinement and day-to-day usability.
But all that improvement comes at a price, and it’s a whopper. The individual Wrangler variants are now priced up between $8,460 and $10,500 compared to the outgoing model, which is a painful pill to swallow. That said they do come with a much more generous kit list, so we’d suggest you read on before dropping the Wrangler from your shortlist.
The 2019 Wrangler range kicks off with the Sport S, priced at $48,950 and $53,450 for the 2-door and 4-door body styles respectively, representing a $9,960 & $10,460 step-up over the models they replace. Motivation comes from a 209kW/347Nm 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol mill, which sends power to all-four wheels via an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
Equipment is pretty generous despite the entry-level positioning, too. You get 17-inch alloys as standard, automatic headlights, reversing camera & parking sensors, keyless entry & go, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a 7.0-inch Uconnect infotainment screen. And over your head will sit a canvas soft-stop, a standard feature on the base Sport S.
Step up to an Overland and you’ll be shelling out $58,540 for the 2-door and $62,950 for the 4-door (up $8,460 and $8,960 respectively). For this you get 18-inch wheesls and a removable ‘Freedom Top’ roof arrangement, LED illumination fore and aft, 360º parking sensors, and active safety features (AEB, intelligent cruise control with traffic jam assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert).
You also get an 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment screen, which is sharper and generally fits nicer into the redesigned cabin. You also get the same 3.6-litre Pentastar engine as in the Sport S, with the same outputs and same gearbox option. There’s no manual in sight.
At the top of the Wrangler tree sits, as always, the Rubicon. Available exclusively as a 4-door, the Rubicon offers up the same 3.6-litre V6 or a 2.2-litre turbodiesel, the latter rated at 147kW/400Nm with the same 8-speed ZF gearbox. Regardless of engine, all Rubicon models get locking diffs on either end, disconnecting sway bars, uprated axles and rock-sliders, winch-ready bumpers, and 17-inch alloys with off-road tyres.
Interestingly, the Rubicon comes as standard with the advanced driver assist suite as per the Overland model, which means that your off-road ready Wrangler can also be properly civilised in town. We appreciate that immensely. What the Rubicon does get all to itself are off-road relevant pages in the infotainment screen, all designed to enhance & improve your off-road experience in the new Jeep Wrangler.
|
Variant |
Bodystyle |
Powertrain |
Price |
|
Wrangler Sport S |
2-Door |
3.6 V6 Petrol |
$48,950 |
|
Wrangler Sport S |
4-Door |
3.6 V6 Petrol |
$53,450 |
|
Wrangler Overland |
2-Door |
3.6 V6 Petrol |
$58,450 |
|
Wrangler Overland |
4-Door |
3.6 V6 Petrol |
$62,950 |
|
Wranger Rubicon |
4-Door |
3.6 V6 Petrol |
$63,950 |
|
Wranger Rubicon |
4-Door |
2.2 Diesel |
$68,950 |
Jeep will offer no less than 130 rated & certified off-road accessories for the Wrangler, though we’ve no doubt that the extensive list of aftermarket accessory outfitters & manufacturers will outdo that number swiftly. What Jeep is not offering for the Wrangler are things like a row-it-yourself gearbox or the new 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine, which is a shame. Comment is being sought on the matter.
For the best deals on a new Jeep, check out our Showroom.
Note: Photos shown are of overseas models that best resemble local offerings, as Jeep Australia has not released local-specification images for publication.
