Jeep Wrangler

The cabin of the Jeep Wrangler is not as new-age in its appearance as the other luxury SUVs at this price point. It even lacks the newness of the latest iteration of the Wrangler sold overseas. However, every element of this cabin makes the Wrangler stick to its purpose of a lifestyle off-roading SUV.

Featuring an all-black layout, the interior of the Jeep Wrangler has contrast red accents on the dashboard and door panels, along with contrast stitching for the leather-wrapped steering wheel and seats. The three-spoke multi-functional steering wheel, which is both tilt and telescopic adjustable, feels good to hold.

The AC vents on the dashboard – including the ones on the corners and ones on the sides of the infotainment system – are round-shaped, which aligns with the round-themed instrument console. The Wrangler gets a modern 7-inch TFT MID between traditional analogue gauges for the speedometer and tachometer. The centre console of the dashboard of the Jeep Wrangler has an upright design, with the upper housing having a touchscreen infotainment system. 

The lower centre console of the Jeep Wrangler’s dashboard has a plethora of physical buttons for the Selec-Trac four-wheel drive system, dual-zone automatic climate control and the audio system, which adds an old-school touch to the cabin. 

Pros and Cons:

Pro: Cabin looks purposeful for an off-roader SUV

Con: All-black theme makes the cabin feel less spacious

Features and Technology

The Jeep Wrangler might not be the most modern-feeling SUV on the inside at this price point, but there are some comfort and convenience features that are worth mentioning and enhance the novelty of this off-road SUV.

While the Sahara variant gets a smaller 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, the Rubicon variants have a larger 8.4-inch touchscreen for the infotainment. Both the screens are compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and support Jeep’s Uconnect system for connectivity features. 

Other features that are common to both the variants of the Jeep Wrangler are a premium Alpine audio system, a 7-inch TFT screen in the instrument console, heated seats, a push start-stop button, leather upholstery for the bucket seats and steering wheel, a powered driver’s seat and a dual-zone automatic climate control. However, many modern-day features like wireless chargers, and climate-controlled seats are not there in this version of Wrangler. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Good-sounding audio system

Con: Modern features like wireless chargers and climate-controlled seats are missing

Boot Space and Storage

The Jeep Wrangler impresses massively with its boot space in its five-seater Unlimited variant, which stands at 533 litres with the rear seats up. After folding down the 60:40 split rear seats, the boot space increases to a massive 2,050 litres.

However, while the Wrangler blows your mind with its boot space, it disappoints with the storage spaces on the inside. The glove box is small, while the map pockets in the door panels are very slim, with them also missing out on bottle holders. There are cup holders between the front seats and rear seat centre armrest, though.

Pros and cons:

Pro: Massive boot space

Con: Poor storage space management in the cabin

The Jeep Wrangler is being offered in two body styles: the three-door version for the Rubicon and the five-door version for the Unlimited Sahara and Unlimited Rubicon. Except for the addition of the rear doors, the five-door version shares its upright and purposeful design language with the three-door version.

At the front, the Jeep Wrangler has a butch fascia, which has gained an iconic stature with its vertical seven-slat grille and rounded LED headlamps on the upper corners of the grille. Equipped with LED DRLs, these LED headlamps are accompanied by rounded LED fog lamps placed on the corners of the off-road-specific front bumper, which have gunmetal grey surrounds. 

The side profile of the Jeep Wrangler further enhances its distinguished appeal, with the SUV having a muscular and upright bonnet, flared wheel arches and angular doors and window panels. The front wheel arches have turn indicators placed on their frontal edges. While the Unlimited Sahara variant has 18-inch machined alloy wheels with grey spokes, the Rubicon and Unlimited Rubicon variants have 17-inch machined alloy wheels with blacked-out spokes. 

At the back, the Jeep Wrangler has a squarish profile, with the SUV being one of the very few options now in the market to get a tailgate-mounted spare wheel. The SUV also has rectangular LED tail lamps placed on the side edges of the boot lid.

Pros and cons:

Pro: Blacked-out alloy wheels and rearview mirrors

Cons: The overall design now looks very dated

Jeep claims an official fuel efficiency figure of 10.6 kmpl for the Wrangler with the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, which is low but decent for a large off-roader with a performance-oriented petrol engine. With this powertrain, the Jeep Wrangler delivers 7-8 kmpl in city conditions and 9-10 kmpl in highway driving conditions. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Decent fuel efficiency on highways

Con: Real-world city efficiency is poor

Considered one of the best SUVs for off-road driving, the Jeep Wrangler has one of the most rugged and capable hardware for taking on the worst of beatings. The Unlimited Sahara variant of the SUV gets a 2.72:1 Selec-Trac full-time four-wheel drive system with Dana M186 front axle and Dana M200 rear axle.

On the other hand, the Rubicon variants have a more capable 4:1 Rock-Trac HD full-time four-wheel drive system with front electronic differential locking with axle disconnect, electronically locking rear axle and front disconnecting stabilizer bar. The gas-charged shocks further make the Wrangler more capable even on on-road surfaces, though there is some body roll and roughness in the suspension at higher RPMs.

Pros and Cons:

Pro: Excellent off-road driving hardware

Con: Body roll and bounciness in ride quality at higher speeds

Globally, the Jeep Wrangler is available in multiple options, including a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid. However, in the Philippines, the Wrangler SUV is available with a single 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. Shared with other Jeep offerings, this turbo-petrol engine produces a maximum power output of 268 bhp and a maximum torque output of 400 Nm. 

While this engine might be small in size and might seem underpowered for an SUV as large as the Jeep Wrangler, it impresses with the performance on tap. This engine has a strong pull at lower RPMs with almost negligible turbo lag, while the top-end grunt feels substantial too. Even the refinement levels and responsiveness of the standard 8-speed automatic transmission feel smooth. The Wrangler can also do the 0-100 kmph sprint in 8.1 seconds. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Refinement and performance across the entire rev range

Con: 0-100 kmph sprint time could have been lower

This particular version of the Jeep Wrangler is not as heavily equipped as the globally available version, but it does get a decent number of safety features. This off-road lifestyle SUV gets six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, traction control, front and rear parking sensors, reverse camera, auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, hill start assist and hill descent control. While this Wrangler doesn’t get a comprehensive ADAS suite, it does feature blind spot and cross-path detection. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Side and curtain airbags are present

Con: No comprehensive ADAS suite and 360-degree parking camera

Competitor Comparison

The most direct rivals of the Jeep Wrangler, which are also hardcore lifestyle off-roader SUVs like it, are the Ford Bronco, BAIC B80 Wagon, and Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. All these SUVs are based on ladder-on-frame construction and come with several modern amenities to justify their high prices. 

Conclusion and Final Verdict

The high price point of the Jeep Wrangler might convince many to opt for a more luxury-oriented European SUV that has more premium appeal. However, at the same time, rarely any other SUV comes across as a hardcore lifestyle off-roader SUV that is as capable off the road as the Jeep Wrangler. While many crucial features are missing in the Wrangler, the real deal of this SUV is its immensely capable four-wheel drive system and supporting hardware. Even the turbo-petrol engine surprises with its excellent performance on offer.