Jeep’s rough-and-ready Wrangler gets more creature comforts

• Slightly revised design and enhanced equipment levels
• New 12.2-inch infotainment screen
• Available to order now, first deliveries early 2024

Believe it or not, this is the new 2024 Jeep Wrangler. We say “believe it or not”, because we’d say it looks virtually indistinguishable from the current one.

Jeep assures us, however, that there are some notable differences. The trademark seven-slot grille has been redesigned, apparently, with textured slots and metallic bezels, while the physical radio antennae has been replaced by one that’s built into the windscreen, so that there’s nothing to get caught on bushes and tree branches when you’re out in the wild.

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There are also four new wheel designs – ranging from 17- to 20 inches in diameter – along with one new paint colour to give a choice of ten in total, and you also have a choice of different configurations for your roof and doors, many of those options offering some form of open-top motoring. 

On the inside, the current car’s 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment screen is replaced by a new 12.2-inch one that runs Jeep’s latest UConnect 5 software. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as is Alexa voice control, TomTom navigation, and over-the-air updates to keep the system fresh over time.

One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the Wrangler’s hardcore off-roading focus. The tried-and-tested body-on-frame construction remains on all models, as do the solid front and rear axles, five-link suspension and low-range gears. There are also four skid plates positioned underneath the car to protect vital parts from damage on uneven terrain. All this should make the Wrangler pretty unstoppable off-road. The Rubicon model, meanwhile, is even more capable, because it adds a cleverer rear axle, front and rear axle lockers and disconnecting anti-roll bars at the front, all of which means it’s even better at clambering over inhospitable terrain. 

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Two trims are offered, both of which benefit from enhanced equipment levels with the update. The Sahara is the entry-level car and comes with standard kit including LED lighting, leather upholstery, heated front seats and steering wheel, 12-way power adjustment for the front seats, keyless entry and go, front and rear parking sensors, and a nine-speaker audio system. Some additional active safety measures have also been added to the standard kit list, and these include lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and drowsy driver alert.

Rubicon versions get all the extra off-roading kit, plus an off-road camera, upgraded leather upholstery and a bank of auxiliary switches that you can use to operate any additional off-roading accessories you might want to add: winches and light bars, anyone?

The lone engine offering is carried over from the current car, and it’s a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol putting out 268bhp through an eight-speed automatic transmission. That’s a combination that Jeep’s website says will deliver a return of 27.2mpg on the Sahara and 24.8mpg on the Rubicon.

Both versions are available to order now, the Sahara starting from £60,785 and the Rubicon from £62,785. The first customer cars are expected in the UK in the first half of 2024.

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