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By
EWAN KENNEDY
26 March 2007
Despite the rapid growth in the number of 4WD/SUV vehicles on the
market there are still only about half a dozen vehicles that are capable
of handling serious off-road conditions. And when these conditions
become ultra-serious the field narrows even further, arguably down to
just the Land Rover Defender and the Jeep Wrangler both rough and rugged
vehicles with their own distinct pedigree.
Launched in 1987 as the replacement for the long-serving Jeep
CJ, Wrangler is the closest direct descendant of the legendary
World War II Jeep. Even now, 65 years later, the similarity in
appearance between the two vehicles is obvious with its square
angular styling, round headlights and characteristic seven-slot
grille.
The just-released 2007 Wrangler is significantly larger than
its predecessor and, for the first time comes with the choice
between two and four door bodies. The two-door Wrangler Sport is
133 mm wider and 340 mm longer than the old model while the
four-door Wrangler Unlimited is 528 mm longer than the previous
two-door. At 2947 mm the Unlimited’s wheelbase is 523 mm longer
than that of the Sport.
Other traditional Jeep features such as external bonnet latches
and fold-down front windscreen have been retained, although to
improve the vehicle’s aerodynamics the windscreen now has the
slightest of curves instead of the flat screen used in previous
models.
The new Wrangler comes with the choice of a 3.8-litre V6 petrol
engine, replacing the previous 4.0-litre, or for the first time, a
2.8-litre turbo diesel engine. Both provide the torque required
for the off-road work, 315 Nm at 4000 rpm from the V6 and 410 Nm
between 2000 to 2600 revs from the manual diesel (400 Nm from the
automatic). Maximum power is 146 kW and 130 kW respectively.
Both Wrangler models come with a six-speed manual gearbox. The
four-door Unlimited has a five-speed automatic, the Sport makes do
with four-speed.
Safety in the new Wrangler has been improved with the inclusion
of four-wheel disc ABS brakes, stability and traction control,
dual front airbags and optional side airbags.
Wrangler comes with the choice of soft and hard tops, the
latter in three separate sections. Removal of either top is a
fully manual operation, no push-buttons here, so give yourself
plenty of time to put the top back on again if you see rain clouds
in the distance - it’s not the simplest of operations.
For real open air motoring it is a simple job to pull off the
doors and fold down the windscreen. There is a substantial safety
roll cage, padded to protect occupants heads against any
unexpected bumps.
We were able to test both two and four-door versions of the new
Wrangler over a couple of days in a barely-accessible area on the
east coast of Tasmania including the Balfour Track, barging our
way through narrow bush tracks, over rocky outcrops, and across
both wet and dry, soft sand. Apart from the inevitable scrapes and
some displaced mudflaps the 18 Wranglers in our party all emerged
from this torture test virtually unscathed.
Two options packs are available. The Renegade pack adds a
combination soft/hard top, deep tinted glass, tubular side steps
and an enhanced sound system including a six-disc CD player. Price
for the Renegade pack is $2000 with the Wrangler Sport and $2500
with the Unlimited.
The Wrangler Rubicon, named after the renowned Rubicon Trail in
California, only comes with the V6 petrol engine and further
enhances the vehicle’s off-road ability with features such as an
upgraded Rock-Trak two-speed transfer case with a 4:1 low-range
gear ratio, Tru-Lock front and rear locking differentials for
greater traction for rock climbing, 17-inch aluminium wheels and
Goodyear 225/75 all-terrain tyres. Rubicon also comes with the
dual top and six-stack CD player included in the Renegade pack.
The short wheelbase Sport would be our vehicle of choice in
these more rugged conditions while the longer wheelbase on the
four-door Unlimited provided a more comfortable ride on bitumen.
Both however offer the opportunity to explore areas of our great
land that are out of reach to the vast majority of vehicles.
The complete 2007 Jeep Wrangler range, with prices (excluding
on-road costs) is:
Sport V6 3.8-litre petrol two-door: $30,990 (manual), $32,990
(automatic)
Sport CRD 2.8-litre diesel two-door: $34,990 (manual), $36,990
(automatic)
Renegade V6 3.8-litre petrol two-door: $32,990 (manual), $34,990
(automatic)
Renegade CRD 2.8-litre diesel two-door: $36,990 (manual), $38,990
(automatic)
Rubicon V6 3.8-litre petrol two-door: $39,990 (manual), $41,990
(automatic)
Unlimited V6 3.8-litre petrol four-door: $34,990 (manual), $36,990
(automatic)
Unlimited CRD 2.8-litre diesel four-door: $38,990 (manual),
$40,990 (automatic)
Unlimited Rubicon V6 3.8-litre petrol four-door: $43,990 (manual),
$45,990 (automatic)
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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