Talk The ETorque

A Stateside Blast Of Jeep’s Jl Rubicon Etorque, But Will It Come To Australia?

- Matt Raudonikis

IT'S BEEN a long time coming, but the JL Wrangler will be in Australian showrooms in a matter of weeks and on sale a couple of months. In a win for off-road enthusiasts, the JL retains the familiar Wrangler platform of using a ladder-frame chassis with live axles and, in the case of the Rubicon models, locking differentials and extra low gearing.

The standard 3.6-litre petrol V6 engine is also a familiar carryover, but among the many changes and inclusions that came with the JL Jeep now also offers the Wrangler with an optional 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine. The turbo 2.0 is available across the Wrangler range in the USA, including the Rubicons, but isn’t being offered in Australia, which is disappointing after our drive of this car. We were pleasantly surprised by this powertrain option when we had a short drive of the Rubicon in the USA last year.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE

I DIDN’T know the bright Mojito Green Rubicon was equipped with the turbo 2.0-litre when photographer Brunelli threw the keys to me on the sand dunes outside Las Vegas so he could shoot it driving by. I assumed it would be the V6 engine and actually noted once driving it that the engine was quieter than I remembered. Gone was the roar of a V6 engine, but there was also no indication of a turbocharger’s whistle either. The turbo four didn’t even come to mind.