Photo: Stefan Baldauf / Guido ten Brink
Earlier this month, Jeep trolled Ford with the “392 HEMI” teaser for the Jeep Wrangler. Two days later, a concept with the 6.4-liter V8 was revealed with Rubicon goodies and the practicality of the four-door Unlimited body style.
Though Jeep never mentioned production plans, take a look at this prototype. Why is the American automaker testing a JLU Wrangler with the same engine, hood, and off-road goodies as the concept? The answer is pretty darn obvious, isn’t it?
Possibly a 2021 model, the 392 HEMI should have the upper hand over the top-of-the-line Bronco in terms of horsepower and torque. 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet (644 Nm) over 325 and 400 for the 2.7-liter EcoBoost is quite a difference, and Jeep needs all the bragging rights imaginable to slow down the Bronco hype.
Spied on public roads in Michigan with a manufacturer plate out back, the black prototype with red tow hooks can also be seen with not one, two, or three, but four exhaust tips. All of them can be easily noticed thanks to the shorty off-road bumper at the rear, and the tips flank the hitch receiver and 7-/4-pin wiring harness.
“We are anxious to gauge their reaction to this new Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept,” said Jeep head Jim Morrison about the concept. And just like the one-off weekend warrior, the production version should deliver “incredible and unmatched levels of fun-to-drive performance and capability, both on- and off-road.”
However, the “V8rangler” in Rubicon specification still plays second fiddle to the Bronco with the Sasquatch Package in terms of tire size. The BF Goodrich T/A KO2 all-terrain rubber of the prototype is supremely capable off the beaten path, but Ford has taller tires from Goodyear to offer. 35-inch tall, specifically.
Before the V8-engined Wrangler hopefully enters the scene in 2021, Jeep has another surprise in store for brand loyalists and new customers. That would be the 4xe plug-in hybrid option, which will arrive at dealers before the plug-in hybrid Bronco that’s been indirectly confirmed with an “EV Coaching” feature.
Possibly a 2021 model, the 392 HEMI should have the upper hand over the top-of-the-line Bronco in terms of horsepower and torque. 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet (644 Nm) over 325 and 400 for the 2.7-liter EcoBoost is quite a difference, and Jeep needs all the bragging rights imaginable to slow down the Bronco hype.
Spied on public roads in Michigan with a manufacturer plate out back, the black prototype with red tow hooks can also be seen with not one, two, or three, but four exhaust tips. All of them can be easily noticed thanks to the shorty off-road bumper at the rear, and the tips flank the hitch receiver and 7-/4-pin wiring harness.
“We are anxious to gauge their reaction to this new Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept,” said Jeep head Jim Morrison about the concept. And just like the one-off weekend warrior, the production version should deliver “incredible and unmatched levels of fun-to-drive performance and capability, both on- and off-road.”
However, the “V8rangler” in Rubicon specification still plays second fiddle to the Bronco with the Sasquatch Package in terms of tire size. The BF Goodrich T/A KO2 all-terrain rubber of the prototype is supremely capable off the beaten path, but Ford has taller tires from Goodyear to offer. 35-inch tall, specifically.
Before the V8-engined Wrangler hopefully enters the scene in 2021, Jeep has another surprise in store for brand loyalists and new customers. That would be the 4xe plug-in hybrid option, which will arrive at dealers before the plug-in hybrid Bronco that’s been indirectly confirmed with an “EV Coaching” feature.
Google News