For 2024, the Wrangler gets a minor nip and tuck and new features, but is it comfortable enough to live with on a daily basis?
What better way to welcome the Jeep Wrangler facelift than taking it for a bit of fun offroading? With the Wrangler, especially this Rubicon variant, offroading feels like you’re on a stroll. It is a very capable vehicle off-roader and seems like the perfect tool for the job.
Some quick facts about the Rubicon first. It’s named after a tough trail in the USA so naturally it has some serious off-road credentials. It has full-time four-wheel drive with a 4:1 crawl ratio, water wading depth of 864 mm, 253 mm ground clearance and some insane approach, break-over and departure angles.
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Off-Roading Specs | |
|---|---|
Water Wading Capacity | 864 mm |
Ground Clearance | 253 mm |
Approach Angle | 43.9 degrees |
Breakover Angle | 22.6 degrees |
Departure Angle | 37 degrees |
If there’s any off-roader that you can buy with your eyes closed and with money not being an objection, it's the Wrangler and there’s absolutely no doubt about it. It is just wonderful when there is no tarmac.
But is the Wrangler good for everyday use? Actually, not that bad. Even with its chunky mud-terrain tyres, it’s comfortable enough for regular driving and the suspension does soak up bumps and potholes, but you’ll still feel them.
Because of the mud-terrain tyres and the lack of decent insulation, there’s a good amount of tyre noise and wind noise that seeps into the cabin. You can feel a lot of body roll in the corners.
The steering is on the heavier side because of those massive mud tyres. And the size of the Wrangler doesn’t help it either. The flat bonnet actually makes your line of vision towards the ground quite long. It looks imposing but is a bane in traffic.
Under the hood, you continue to get the same 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 270 bhp and 400 Nm. There’s plenty of power for the city and even the highway. But on the highway with all this tyre and wind noise, it is not really a comfortable cruiser.
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Powertrain | |
|---|---|
Displacement | 1995 cc |
Max Power | 270 bhp @ 5250 rpm |
Peak Torque | 400 Nm @ 3000 rpm |
Transmission | 8-speed Automatic |
Now a thing to remember. This isn’t an all-new Wrangler, it’s just a small facelift. So without wasting too much of your time, let me quickly tell you what all has changed.
At the front, the biggest change is the grille. Jeep has made it smaller than before but the gaps in the grille are now wider, which is supposed to help cool the engine better. Jeep says the smaller grille allows more room to add a winch. Apart from the design of the alloy wheels and the inclusion of Gorilla Glass protection for the windshield, not much has changed.
Now that you’ve seen all that’s changed on the outside, time to head in. But heading in is a challenge as even for me who’s almost 5 feet 11 inches tall, it’s a bit of a climb and the lack of a footboard doesn’t help. That’s where the 253 mm of ground clearance is a problem.
The cabin feels familiar but now has an all-black theme. There’s a new 12.3-inch touchscreen that replaces the older 8.4-inch unit. This is a pretty slick unit to use honestly. It’s nice and wide and the display is crisp.
An important addition to the Wrangler is ADAS with features like forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control and automatic high beam. Jeep has made the Wrangler safer by giving it six airbags. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connect seamlessly and the Alpine-tuned audio system sounds sweet. As always, the interior remains weatherproof.
The powered front seats are good. But don’t even get me started on how bad the back seats of the Wrangler have always been. The first problem is the small opening of the rear doors, and the second is the height. Once in, it’s okay to sit back here but the seats lack decent under-thigh support and don’t even recline.
Let’s talk about how much you would actually have to shell out. The Wrangler gets two variants – the Unlimited which is priced at ₹67.65 lakh (ex-showroom, India) and the Rubicon will put a dent of ₹71.65 lakh (ex-showroom, India) in your wallet. Compared to the outgoing model, prices have been hiked by ₹5 lakh.
The Wrangler is fine to live with on a daily basis if you can adjust to all the caveats that come with it. But If I had this in my garage, I don’t think I'd be using it to commute to work daily given how difficult it is to find parking spots that it can fit. Also, this is not the ideal vehicle to be used as a family car, given how uncomfortable the back seats can be.
So if you are spending that much money on a Wrangler, don’t expect much in terms of luxury, for that there are other options like the Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW X3 and Audi Q5.
Photography by: Apoorv Choudhary
