It must be interesting being the Jeep Wrangler in India. Despite being the only market outside the US to assemble the Wrangler in 34 years, India is also home to the Wrangler’s most famous imposter. The Mahindra Thar’s imprint on the country’s automotive DNA is a greater one, much to the chagrin of the likes of the Wrangler, which qualifies as a premium offering. And with the five-door Thar due to arrive soon, the brand wants to establish, once and for all, that the Wrangler is in another league both as an off-roading instrument and a lifestyle statement.
The Wrangler has, for the most part, remained peerless. Yes there are other products in the market that are adept off-roaders, but few are as iconic as the Wrangler—the reason why it has spawned so many copycats. As a direct descendant of the Willys Jeep, it has always been a storied marquee, but despite being locally assembled, its credentials as a more off-road-focused luxury SUV has made it more of a speciality vehicle, one that’s dripping with rugged charm and possessing instant recognisability. So what makes it worth the premium it commands?
The 2024 Jeep Wrangler
Mechanically, the Wrangler remains the same as the one it replaces, save for a few key changes. For instance both the front and rear axle are now Dana Full Float units, and are certifiably more durable than anything put on a Wrangler, offering towing capacity of roughly two and a half tonnes. The Rubicon, which happens to be more off-road-oriented, gets locking differentials while the Unlimited, a more road-friendly alternative, doesn’t. But both continue to be powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol, making 268bhp and a solid 400 Nm of torque. More on that later.
In terms of equipment and tech, there’s plenty to go around. For starters, there’s the Gorilla glass windshield, offering immunity from minor scratches caused not only by tree branches and pebbles but everyday wear and tear. Jeep claims that it’s the first of its kind in the country. The seven-slatted grille continues to be a visual trademark of the Wrangler’s front fascia, but it's been scaled down a bit and is no longer body-coloured. Instead, it gets an all-black border that sets it apart from the rest of the paintwork.
The Rubicon, which comes with locking differentials, also gets mud-terrain tyres and comes with an even more off-road-focused soft-top version with skeletal doors made of hollow metal tubes, a foldable windshield and a removable, porous softop. Not likely to be the most sold Wrangler, but it certainly makes for great visuals.
On the inside, it gets an all-new and much-needed 12.3 touchscreen featuring Jeep’s own UConnect system, offering an unobstructed view of what lies behind the car with the rear-view camera engaged. Other novel features include seven in-built cabin noise-cancelling microphones that work in tandem to neutralise cabin noise. Along with that you get six airbags as standard and brand new ADAS features that include forward collision warning (with active braking) and adaptive cruise control in a bid to make the Wrangler more tarmac-friendly than before.
This is where the Wrangler truly shines. All that machismo and bravado are clearly not for show and are harnessed into making a picnic out of the toughest trails. The Wrangler continues to be equipped with a manual transfer case, allowing you to shift between 2H, 4H and 4L via a stubby gear lever. The 8-speed torque converter has been calibrated to utilise the Wrangler’s exceptional levels of torque, so at no point do you feel the absence of a V6 or a V8. Torque, particularly in 4L, kicks in early, so much so that overzealous throttle inputs will have the Wrangler digging its heels into whatever loose surface you find yourself on.
It’s as much of a point-and-shoot device as any SUV can be, and the fact that it does so effortlessly, without leaning on a V6 or V8, speaks volumes about how well calibrated an off-road machine this is. Any miscalculation in wheel articulation which would have you stuck in a regular SUV, is easily forgiven with the Wrangler thanks to its extensive suspension travel and locking diffs.
Switching to 4L and back to 4H and 2H continues to be a raw, engaging and physical effort—a far cry from the knob- and touchscreen-operated 4x4 functions of some SUVs. The Wrangler immediately betrays its military origins and endears itself to you even more as a result. Because something about slotting that stubby lever makes the experience all the more enriching, and the Jeep feel more robust.
With a water wading depth of 34 inches, the Rubicon pretty much dives into one of the offshoots of the Sutlej, where I find myself testing it. Immediately, it is partially submerged in what is chest-high water, the Rubicon’s skeletal door frame sending water on to the floorboard. No matter, because as soon as you hit terra firma, you can open small flaps on the floor mats now that drain the water to the ground.
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