There goes that dream.
The 2018 Jeep Wrangler, the very first of its kind to feature a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, will not find the ‘Hurricane’ unit producing the tantalising 275kW power figure that we thought it would. The number has been debated for some time, with many quarters suggesting it was the real deal, and they had their claims backed up after NHTSA filing documents revealed that the 2018 model had a stated power figure of ‘368hp.’
However, since the NTHSA documents were leaked, FCA have taken a moment to amend them, with the power figure now reading ‘NR’ or ‘Not Rated.’ It’s entirely possible that the 368hp power figure previously stated was nothing more than an error, with 268hp (or 200kW) a far more likely number considering the displacement (or lack) of the Hurricane mill.
With the gift of hindsight, 275kW from a turbocharged four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol engine is rather foolish to assume, given that its specific output (power-to-displacement ratio) would surpass mills from Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and BMW, something that isn’t improbable for FCA but unlikely to be first applied in something like a Wrangler.
Regardless, the Wrangler will be making its debut at the LA Auto Show later this year, and will offer a raft of engines, ranging from the usual large-displacement low-stress petrols to the torquey diesels, along with the downsized Hurricane inline-4 that will likely see Wrangler sales improve in most markets.
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