The biggest news for the 2020 Wrangler is that Jeep has finally launched the EcoDiesel V6 in the United States. Similar to the 3.0-liter turbo diesel available as an option in the Ram 1500, the Italian engine is exclusive to the four-door Unlimited coupled to the eight-speed automatic transmission.
TorqueFlite 8HP75 is the name of the tranny, and as you’d expect from an engine with compression ignition and different fuel from the Pentastar V6 and Hurricane four-cylinder turbo, the eight-speeder of the EcoDiesel V6 has been re-calibrated for shifting much sooner. Otherwise put, turbo diesels develop their peak torque far lower in the rev range in comparison to gasoline powerplants.
Heavy-duty Dana 44 axles at the front and rear, a 3.73 axle ratio, 4x4, and two- transfer cases are included. Customers going for the Rubicon are treated to the Rock-Trac transfer case that sweetens the deal in off-road situations with a 4.0:1 reduction for an extremely low crawl ratio. Sport and Sahara trims are equipped with the Command-Trac, which features a reduction of 2.72:1.
Care to guess how much the EcoDiesel V6 costs? In this application, make that $39,290 for the entry-level Wrangler Unlimited Sport including $1,495 for the destination charge. That’s a difference of $4,000 over the 3.6-liter gasoline V6 from the Pentastar family, a serious price gap when you think about it.
The first examples of the breed are expected to arrive at dealerships by the end of the fourth quarter, and in the meantime, Jeep is much obliged to let you admire the Wrangler EcoDiesel V6 with a mega gallery of hi-res photographs and a couple of videos.
European customers aren’t treated to the 3.0-liter engine option, but a 2.2-liter four-potter with the same displacement and compression ratio as the Alfa Romeo Giulia. We’ve tested the body-on-frame SUV with this exact powerplant in the Rubicon, and the verdict is that NVH could’ve been better when compared to the unibody sedan.
If you had $40k lying around in your bank account, would you spend those dollar bills on the EcoDiesel V6 or simply buy the Pentastar V6 instead?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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