[Omkar]

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Drive

The Wrangler Rubicon is the quintessential Jeep of modern times. It’s been around for ages now and what we currently get is the ‘JL’ version which replaces the old ‘JK’. Not much is different, but for better or worse, that’s what people want. An old-school ladder-on-frame SUV with four-wheel drive and a set of off-road features that will take you anywhere. The car that you see here is assembled in India and we got to drive this kitted-up Rubicon in and around Mumbai. Here are some of our observations.

This report has been jointly compiled with Akshay1234. Thanks to him for the expert observations!

Exterior

Internationally, this is the fourth generation Wrangler and is available in India in 2 trims – Unlimited for Rs. 59.05 lakh and Rubicon for Rs. 63.05 lakh (ex-showroom):


Up front you have the keystone-shaped grille with iconic seven slots and round LED headlights:


As you may have already guessed, this is not a stock bumper. It’s an off-road bumper that’s available as an official Jeep accessory. The bumper doesn’t come with the winch and you have to opt for a winch mounting kit and a winch separately. Additionally, you can also opt for a winch guard (stuck behind the number plate). A couple of 5-inch off-road lights placed on the bumper are a part of the accessories list:


Like a classic Jeep, you can drop down the windshield while off-roading:


This Jeep doesn’t mask its size. It’s a properly big car and the alloy wheels look tiny for the size of this car:


These 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels are offered as standard on the Rubicon. The car was fitted with a 2-inch Lift Kit with FOX shocks:


255/75 R17 BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain tyres on this car:


A closer look at the trail-rated 4x4 badge:


The Rubicon variant gets the full-time 4WD system with locking front and rear differentials with an electronic sway bar disconnect (4:1 crawl). We didn’t get a chance to test it to the limits, but you can tell that the car is extremely well-equipped to take on any obstacle:


You get a full-size spare wheel mounted on the tailgate:


If you want to be one with nature, you can get rid of the top and the doors:


The Wrangler is one of the last vehicles to still offer rigid front and rear axles:


The ‘Launch Edition’ badge:


Squarish LED taillamps suit the character of the vehicle:


The split tailgate opens to a decent-sized boot (roughly 900 liters):


You’ll find this plate with specifications on the tailgate:

Interior

Being behind the wheel of the Wrangler is something you will enjoy. You get a nice and high commanding driving position that you will appreciate while driving around this big vehicle. Getting in the driver’s seat does take some bit of effort and you need to climb into the cabin:


Quality of plastics in the cabin shouldn't be compared with say some of the German manufacturers. It’s utilitarian and built keeping in mind that the car will be used off-road:


Standard Jeep instrument cluster with analog dials and a 7-inch MID screen in the middle:


This is an 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment system. The centre console has a lot of physical buttons which is something a lot of old-school off-roaders will appreciate:


The touchscreen gets Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. It’s well integrated into the screen:


These are the things that make the Rubicon special. Firstly, you have front and rear locking differentials. Next, you have the off-road plus button which enhances the Rubicon’s tractive capabilities. Below that you have the ‘Sway Bar’ disconnect button:


A look at the two round gear knobs. Also, note that the center console houses the power window switches since the doors are removable. You see the 4 switches labelled ‘AUX 1, 2, 3, 4’? Those are customizable auxiliary switches that you can use to operate any accessories that you have added like a winch, etc.


Big comfortable leather seats offer great support. Yes, you have to pull the strap to recline the seat:


The rear seats are also quite big and accommodating. They however lack under-thigh support and you will be sitting in a knees-up position:


Back of the centre armrest houses rear AC vents and power window buttons. Rear passengers also get regular and USB-C charging ports along with a 3-point switch:


The headrest of the middle passenger can be folded down to be used as a centre armrest. You get two big cupholders and a phone holder too:

Driving the Jeep Wrangler

Powering the Wrangler Rubicon is the same 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that is shared with the Grand Cherokee. However, it's in a different state of tune and the Wrangler makes 264 BHP and 400 Nm. It's mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission:


We got to drive the Wrangler on our usual Mumbai roads and as much as we would like to say that they're no less than an off-road course, this is not where the Wrangler shines. Being a hardcore off-roader, on-road dynamics and performance isn't really a priority. Talking purely about the engine, the 2.0-liter unit is nice and refined. You still hear the engine because the cabin isn't very well insulated as you can literally take the doors and roof apart. In terms of power delivery, it's noticeably different from the Grand Cherokee we drove some time back. The Wrangler is a little more relaxed at the bottom end. The turbocharger is in no hurry to boost the engine and the gearbox's kickdown response isn't quick either. So, sometimes you need to plan your overtakes. Once you get going though the Wrangler pulls hard and strong. The claimed 0-100 km/h time is 7.2 seconds which is very quick.

The mid-range is strong and you will reach highway speeds with ease. This is where we had to back off as this Wrangler was lifted + was on mud-terrain tyres. The on-road dynamics were completely off and it didn't make any sense to push this car beyond 100 km/h. The engine also sounds strained at the top end which isn't very enjoyable.

The 8-speed automatic gearbox is also tuned keeping the off-road preferences in mind. The shifts are very much perceivable at low speeds and even while downshifting. Driving around in the city isn't a very smooth experience, but this car wasn't meant to be driven in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Ride & Handling

The modified Wrangler that we drove was all over the place in terms of on-road dynamics. There are a lot of factors that made this particular Jeep to be not so great at handling like the mud terrain tyres and the lift kit. Additionally, the Wrangler's rigid axles and off-road-focused suspension don't make things any better. The ride was bumpy all around with a lot of movement inside the cabin.

At highway speeds, the vertical movement got amplified. Taking some corners even at moderate speeds caused the traction control to kick in and cut power. The chunky mud terrain tyres were the reason for the loss of traction at high speeds. But yes, driving this Wrangler at speeds on our roads was definitely not an experience we'd recommend.

Get off the road and this is where you can actually breathe in a sigh of relief. You can feel the suspension doing its magic and absorbing the bumps and going over rocks with ease. With the lift kit, the suspension travel is also long and even sharp bumps are smoothened out very nicely. With the little bit of off-roading that we did in this Wrangler, we couldn't push it to its limit. It kept on reminding us that it was capable of taking on obstacles that were 10x more difficult.

[Maky]

Thanks for the write Omkar.

Originally Posted by Omkar

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Drive

I wonder if they will be updating the Wrangler anytime soon, and no I'm not talking about facelifts. Ever since the new Ford Bronco came out the Wrangler has started to feel dated.
The Jeep Wrangler interiors especially so are long in the tooth.

[Nilesh5417]

Awesome read Omkar! I have seen the Wrangler pottering around in my side of Pune and it is the real daddy of all. Absolutely imposing! It sure is a capable vehicle too - lucky you got to drive it where it belongs.

[Cresterk]

https://www.carscoops.com/2023/04/20...ubicon-x-trim/

New wrangler has been revealed internationally. Looks like they have completely revamped it, especially the interior.

[navpreet318]

Completely revamped? I don't see anything other than a larger central screen. That too seems like an addon with it jutting out.
The rest of the button controls and flat surfaces seems exactly the same including the speedometer console.

[avira_tk]

Here's a video of the updates, the Indian version should get it soon as this is a CKD operation here. Rear side curtain bags is the biggest update it seems.

https://youtu.be/pnMhLtSHVjQ