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Tim Britten11 Sept 2014
REVIEW

Jeep Wrangler 2014 Review

It might live in a different universe to the original, but it’s still not your most refined 4WD

Jeep Wrangler 'Polar' Limited Edition
Road Test


The Wrangler might be seen as the closest thing today to the original WWII Jeep. In reality there's actually little to connect them.

Size, for one thing: today's “basic” Jeep takes up a lot more road space than the original. It measures 4223mm long, 1873mm wide and stands 1865mm tall, making the 1941 original look like a tiddler at just 3320mm long, 1570mm wide and 1820mm tall – much smaller for example (except for height) than a Holden Trax or Ford EcoSport.

Still, there are sufficient connections between past and present that enable the current Jeep Wrangler to be seen not so much as something isolated from the past, but as the product of an evolutionary process. Dare we say it, similar to the connections (apart from the fact that the Jeep at least retains some of its corporate origins) between today's MINI and the Alex Issigonis-designed 1960s Morris 850.

To be seen as a Jeep, it's necessary to look like one and in the case of the Wrangler it goes a bit further than just the seven-slot grille, tie-down bonnet, removable roof and separate front mudguards. Imagine a 1941 Jeep inflated to something like 125 per cent of its original size and what you have, essentially, is a 2014 two-door Wrangler.

And yet it remains true to its original intentions. The Wrangler is a stalwart in a dying breed of true off-road 4WDs.

Primitive it may be when judged against today's parade of road-friendly and off-road unfriendly SUVs, but the Wrangler looks better and better the further off the beaten track it goes.

With a short (2424mm) wheelbase and tight approach (35-degree), departure (28-degree) and ramp-over (22-degree) angles, as well as a workable 223mm of ground clearance, the Wrangler is better suited than many to a bit of rock-scrabbling, or dealing with rutted forest tracks.

The suspension is pretty fundamental too. It comprises solid Dana beam axles front and rear, controlled at each end by five links and supported on coil springs.

This is helped along by the basic, selectable dual-range Command-Trac 4WD system that can be locked in by a lever next to the shifter for the five-speed auto transmission. And, as there's no messing around with a third differential, the Wrangler, in on-road mode, is a conventional rear-driver.

The standard rear differential is Jeep's Trac-Lok limited-slip, but if you want a little more positive grip in tough going, there's an optional electronic locker that means no less than three wheels are always going to be delivering traction.

Like earlier models, the Wrangler is powered by a six-cylinder petrol engine, but the new one is rather more high-tech.

The all-aluminium, dual overhead camshaft, 24-valve Pentastar V6 displaces 3.6 litres and delivers a substantial 209kW/347Nm to adroitly motivate the weighty short-wheelbase Wrangler.

The almost two-tonne mass extracts a penalty in terms of fuel consumption: the official combined-cycle claim is 11.3L/100km, which is fair enough given the weight and the bluff, non-aero shape of the Wrangler. But our test vehicle averaged 13.4L/100km over a varied range of driving conditions and we don't see how it would be possible to do much better. After about 330 or so kilometres, the Wrangler's 70-litre fuel tank had already dropped to less than a quarter full.

Our car was the latest special edition Wrangler Polar that comes with a bit of added bling to justify a price $3000 above the mid-spec Overland model. It includes macho-black polished 18-inch alloy wheels shod with Bridgestone Dueler BSW 255/70-series all-terrain tyres, as well as various cosmetic touches. These include an exclusive Hydro blue paint included in the body colour palette, a “power dome” bonnet, black accents in the grille and a body-colour hardtop.

Inside, there are Polar-embroidered seatbacks, as well as various colour accents not found in regular Overland models.

This is on top of the heated front seats, sat-nav, climate-control, reversing camera and tyre pressure monitoring that are standard in the Wrangler Overland.

All this barely disguises the Wrangler's essentially primitive roots: the recirculating ball steering, by comparison with most mid-size SUVs, is decidedly unwieldy with a ratio that requires 3.5 turns to go from lock to lock adding to an already detached, over-assisted feel. It takes some time to adjust to.

The Wrangler actually grips onto corners okay for an essentially workhorse design, and the ride, while clearly compromised by the short wheelbase (shorter, say, than a Volkswagen Golf) in terms of fore-aft pitch, is actually quite cushy, unless you are on a choppy, rutted surface. In which case it's a matter of hang on and brace yourself.

And while the driving position is generally comfortable, it's necessary to do a mental adjustment getting around the relativity of brake and accelerator pedals: to transfer from accelerator to brake, the driver's foot must be consciously lifted, slowing down the reaction time until the necessary brain reconfigurations are made.

There's more adjusting to do inside too. Sliding forward the (comfortable) front seats to access the tight, two-passenger rear requires a bit of muscle and then the opening is so small it requires some physical flexibility to clamber aboard. Once that operation is completed, the front seat needs to be re-set into its original position via heavy to use and hard-to-reach adjusting levers. And the detent-free door retaining straps come with the risk of a half-opened door swinging out and hitting a car parked close alongside.

Luggage capacity is limited too, with just the fold-down rear seat enabling anything of half-decent size to be put on board. A bicycle, for example, is a tricky proposition.

While we're on the negatives, the steering wheel is adjustable for height only, the wiper switches are less than intuitive to use and the speedometer markings are difficult to read in daylight.

As mentioned ealier, the Pentastar V6 does as impressive a job in the Wrangler as it does in other Chrysler models. Against the background of a crisply warbling exhaust note, it lifts the Jeep along with a pleasant effortlessness and, even though the transmission only has five speeds on offer, is ready to oblige the driver's whims anywhere within the speed range.

The short-wheelbase Wrangler is clearly not intended as a tow vehicle though: With a quoted braked towing capacity of just 1000kg, it's less capable than the likes of Mazda's CX-5, or Volkswagen's Tiguan SUVs. If you want more, you'll need to step up to the long-wheelbase, four-door Unlimited version that is a capable of lugging a braked 2000kg.

Naturally the Wrangler has all the electronics and passive safety features required to gain access to the market. Four airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability control, brake assist and rearview camera are all in there, although the ANCAP safety rating only comes in at four stars.

In the end, for all its advances over the 1941 Jeep, the Wrangler is decidedly anachronistic in nature. Driving one today, we are reminded how far even the basic SUV has come in recent years. All the ergonomic difficulties we once didn't give a second thought become glaringly obvious against a contemporary background.

2014 Jeep Wrangler Polar pricing and specifications:
Price:
$45,500 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 209kW/347Nm
Transmission: Five speed automatic
Fuel: 11.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 263g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Four-star (ANCAP)

What we liked: Not so much:
>> Macho looks >> Driver ergonomics
>> Off-road suitability >> Tight back seat access and accommodation
>> Punchy engine >> Thirst for fuel

Also consider:
>> Toyota FJ Cruiser  (from $47,990 plus ORCs)
>> Land Rover Defender 90  (from $42,800 plus ORCs)
>> Suzuki Grand Vitara  (from $25,990 plus ORCs)

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Written byTim Britten
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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
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Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
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Price, Packaging & Practicality
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Safety & Technology
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Behind the Wheel
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X-Factor
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