Jeep has released UK pricing details for the new Jeep Wrangler, ahead of it going on sale this weekend. The rugged 4x4 range will start from £44,495 for the entry-level Sahara model in two-door form.
Four-door models command a £1,500 premium, with Overland trim starting from £46,495. The third trim level on offer from Jeep is the Rubicon, priced identically to the Overland. The full list of standard equipment is yet to be revealed.
The sole engine available from launch will be a 2.2-litre diesel, with a 268bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine available later this year. Other markets get hybrid and V6 units, which are unconfirmed for UK release.
The diesel produces 197bhp and 332lb ft of torque, and has an aluminium block, variable geometry turbocharger and stop-start. The petrol, meanwhile, gives 268bhp and 295lb ft of torque, although performance figures for either are yet to be revealed. Both engines are available exclusively with an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
The car, which is already on sale in America, is the first Wrangler to get a four-cylinder petrol engine that uses a twin-scroll turbocharger and new eTorque technology.
The US market mild hybrid system outputs a maximum of 270bhp and 295lb ft of torque, while also enabling significant improvements to efficiency. Stop/start technology is included, and the engine can switch off when the car is coasting.
The Wrangler is also offered with a 3.6-litre petrol engine with 285bhp and 260lb ft of torque, while a 3.0-litre diesel that produces 260bhp and 442lb ft will be added to the range from 2019. Both units use start/stop technology. Drive is channelled to all four wheels, with low-ratio 4:1 locking differentials available (they’re standard on Rubicon cars).
The American SUV, first shown at the LA motor show, has been given substantial technical revisions to bring it up to date, but designers have been sure to retain the familiar look of its forebears, which stretch back to 1986.
It’s offered in two and four-door guises in Sport, Sport S, Sahara (exclusive to the four-door) and Rubicon trim. The model gets new LED lighting and is available with more open-air options, including one that enables the doors and roof to be removed.
Inside, Jeep’s Uconnect infotainment technology features within a centrally mounted touchscreen that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Base cars get a 5.0in screen, but 7.0in and 8.4in versions are available in higher models. A 7.0in digital LED instrument cluster display is also available; base cars make do with a 3.5in screen between the dials.
