There's a Little Bit of Patriot in the 2018 Jeep Wrangler, Sort Of

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

As Jeep super fans nervously await the official reveal of the next-generation Wrangler, images posted online suggest that deeply held fears of an unforgivably altered 2018 model might come to nothing.

Two images appeared on JL Wrangler Forums this week, claiming to show a 2018 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. While the site’s administration says the images are confirmed to be authentic, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles hasn’t made a statement backing that up. So, we’re left looking at what could very well be the next Wrangler.

Several changes immediately catch the eye.

You wouldn’t expect to see much visual evidence of the Wrangler’s adoption of weight-saving aluminum — mainly in the doors, hood and rear gate — but a new design feature could be related.

The Jeep in these images sports a well-defined beltline aft of the windshield, not unlike an aluminum-doored Land Rover Defender. Jeep only makes changes to the Wrangler when necessary, so we’ll assume the slightly sculpted sides have something to do with panel stiffness. It’s hard not to be reminded of the recently departed Patriot.

Up front, the changes are subtle, yet noticeable. The Wrangler keeps its signature, round headlights and seven-slot grille, though the grille now bends slightly rearward about halfway up. The bumper, while still of the exposed variety, now extends further from the body, and is more shapely to boot. In another act of aerodynamic improvement, the Wrangler’s windshield is more steeply raked.

Just aft of the front fenders, a recessed vent appears, likely to improve airflow around the front wheel wells.

These images are a tempting teaser for a vehicle scheduled to go into production late this year. Besides a pickup variant (which FCA has now pushed back to late 2019), the next-gen Wrangler should be offered — eventually — with a hybrid powertrain. Expect the Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 engine to return, with an optional turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four.

[Image: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Tylanner Tylanner on Mar 31, 2017

    I bin this design as a display of "incredible restraint". It is difficult to compare the incredible success of the Wrangler silhouette with any other automobile.

    • JohnTaurus JohnTaurus on Apr 01, 2017

      Perhaps the Ford Mustang. Long hood with a short deck has pretty much been its profile throughout its life. Hard not to recognize one as anything but a Mustang (or a thinly disguised one as a Mercury for a few years).

  • Cgjeep Cgjeep on Mar 31, 2017

    I wish they would make a metal non removable hardtop body like a Defender. At least as an option. Might just be the little extra refinement I need

    • See 2 previous
    • Vulpine Vulpine on Apr 03, 2017

      @caltemus The roll bars themselves take up very little passenger space; it's all the airbags and padding that make them seem so much thicker than they are. Even so, they don't take up enough space to complain about unless you're carrying a load of plus-sized passengers or packing it "to the gills" for a camping trip and even there they can be more useful with just a little forethought and imagination. I've owned one of the Daimler-designed models and those roll bars are hardly an issue.

  • Cprescott Fisker is another brand that Heir Yutz has killed.
  • Dwford Every country is allowed to have trade restrictions except the US.
  • 1995 SC Are there any mitigation systems that would have prevented this though? We had a ship hit a bridge in Jacksonville a few years back and it was basically dumb luck it didn't collapse. This looked like a direct hit.
  • Cprescott Oh, well.
  • 28-Cars-Later "The Chinese Ministry of Commerce claimed the Inflation Reduction Act is “discriminatory”"This what your mainstream social communism has wrought: a foreign power, major geopolitical rival and the #1 global industrial competitor cries "racism" when an act of Congress in any way presents a challenge - and the saddest part is there are Americans who will process this claim and agree if only in their own minds. To be clear, Wo xihuan Zhongguoren but the under 40yo PRC raised Mainlanders I've interacted with do believe they are a master race - but that's fine right?
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