Jeep has a strong foothold in India when it comes to premium and luxurious SUVs. Starting with the Jeep Compass and followed by the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee, the USA-based car maker targeted the most niche car segments in the country. Now, with a fresh round of investment infused earlier this year, Jeep is all set to manufacture the majority of its right-hand drive cars in India.
The brand launched the updated Compass last month, details of which can be read here and now we have the locally assembled Wrangler priced at Rs 53.90 lakh (ex-showroom), which is Rs 10 lakh lower than the CBU version which was earlier on sale in the country. Launched in two trims – Unlimited and Rubicon, let us have a look at what the Wrangler offers.
Exterior
On the outside, the Wrangler has an upright stance with the signature seven-slat front grille flanked by circular LED headlamps. The front and rear plastic bumpers are utilitarian and house the circular fog lamps and the parking sensors. The trapezoidal front fenders are body-coloured on the Unlimited trim while the Rubicon gets them in the black colour, both mounted with LED DRLs. The full-frame doors are completely detachable while the front windshield can be dropped down flat on the bonnet. The 17 and 18-inch wheels look like they can glide through any surface on Earth. There is a spare wheel mounted on the tailgate with vertically stacked taillamps and a black bumper like the one at the front.
Interior
As rugged as the Wrangler looks on the outside, the cabin feels equally premium and plush with leather seats and contrast red colour leather on the dashboard. The 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and navigation. Other highlights include dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable heated ORVMs, an eight-speaker stereo system, ambient lighting, and a seven-inch coloured MID.
Safety and Off-road capabilities
The Unlimited variant gets all four disc brakes, hill start and descend control, tyre pressure monitoring system, full-time four-wheel-drive system, and heavy-duty suspension with gas shocks. Should one decide to visit the unexplored terrains, there is the Rubicon with electronically disconnectable sway bar, off-road plus mode, 4x4 transfer case with selectable part-time, and differential locks.
Engine
The powertrain remains the same as before, that is, a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine belting out 268bhp and 400Nm torque mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
