New Delhi: The best selling Jeep in India is of course the Compass but the one that you see here is globally one of their best sellers along with being an icon. I am, of course, talking about the Jeep Wrangler. Whenever I travel abroad, especially Dubai, I see Jeep Wranglers every few minutes- probably with customizations. 


That explains the Wrangler a lot more. Owners customize the car and use it the way they are meant to. However, with the current generation Wrangler, becoming bigger and more luxurious, does it also work as a luxury SUV? 




At Rs 60 lakh for the top-end Wrangler, it might be put against other SUVs at this price so we decided to live with the Wrangler and see for ourselves. It does help (or not?) that we got the top-end and more hardcore Rubicon variant. There is a standard Wrangler which itself is quite competent off-road but the Rubicon variant is just insane. Let us explain.


The Wrangler Rubicon is the most off-road focused version with off-road special tyres, more off-road features and a different look. It is even more hardcore and for going into the wild. However, my first drive involves dodging buses, cars and whatnot in crazy traffic. Here, the Wrangler Rubicon is surprisingly comfortable. 




I have an 8-speed automatic gearbox, surprisingly light steering and smooth power delivery. It does not feel like I am driving a tank though it is built like one. The effect on traffic it has is crazy though. 


Other people stare, cars stop and people bring out their camera phones as you feel like a king being so high up. Yes, the bouncy ride quality isn't very comfortable and there is some tyre noise- but the Wrangle even in Rubicon spec is comfortable enough for everyday use. It also helps that the ground clearance that it gives makes it easy to go over roads or no roads. While other cars struggle, the Wrangler Rubicon just goes ahead.




We get a single petrol option with a 2.0l turbo unit with 268hp/400Nm. Yes, it's a massive car but the Wrangler Rubicon does not feel slow and can move when you want it to. Yes, at low speeds, there is some lag but the gear changes are smooth along with making most of the torque. You can drive big distances all day with no problem at all. 


In the city, I quickly got used to the Wrangler's size while its cabin was again a surprise in terms of what all it offered. Another thing I needed to get used to is its narrow footwell with no dead pedal along as getting in requires some effort.




That said, the leather-covered dashboard and the comfy seats are all quite welcome while the central touchscreen is big enough along with being responsive too. You get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control and pretty much all basic but important features. Then you see nice touches like the original Jeep on the windscreen tucked away and loads of Jeep logos. It's just a cool car.


You can also remove the doors, roof- hence the power window switches located in the middle. While we used the big Wrangler Rubicon in the concrete jungle, we needed to explore its off-road side also. 


The Wrangler Rubicon gets a more hardcore Rock-Trac 4x4 system including Dana 44 front and rear axles along with a "4LO" ratio of 4:1. A 4.10 front and rear axle ratio is standard. What does all this mean? It means the Wrangler Rubicon gets a crazier off-road-focused 4x4 system. 


The standard Wrangler is more than enough but the Rubicon gets more axle articulation, ability to climb over rocks and generally everything. It also gets electrically lockable front/rear differentials. As mentioned earlier, the Rubicon gets smaller rims with bigger tyres which means 17-inch wheels and special BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres.




Hence, the Wrangler Rubicon proved to be so much fun to drive it over ditches, dirt trails and even take it for a bit of rock climbing. To get to our location, we had to climb stairs to get in and also go through mud/huge ditches- the sort of stuff that would break the axles of many SUVs. 


Off-road it's brilliant, on-road it's quite decent and you drive this every day while taking a shortcut via a forest if need be! The Wrangler Rubicon isn't your typical luxury SUV but something of an off-roader's dream but it has just about enough to tempt adventurous luxury SUV buyers also. The fact that it is now assembled in India, is also another USP that has dropped its price vs the CBU version. Overall, easily one of the coolest SUVs that you can buy.


What we like- Looks, off-road performance, interior features, petrol engine, more accessible now


What we do not- Efficiency, ride quality


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