Suburban cowboy

The Jeep Wrangler Sahara comes in at just under R50 000 cheaper than the top-spec Rubicon. We took it for a spin to see if its performance also trails only slightly behind the legend.

- Cyril Klopper

The American Jeep Wrangler is now in its fourth generation, the JL, and it got a facelift late last year. In the US, you can choose between 13 trim levels, but here in South Africa, you only get two: the Sahara and the Rubicon. Both are fitted with the same 2 l petrol engine, but the Rubicon boasts extra equipment that makes it more capable off-road.

We drove the Rubicon briefly when it launched - and spent weeks touring with the Gladiator Rubicon – but this time, we wanted to know whether the Sahara might actually be the smarter buy.

Exterior and interior

All four of the Sahara's doors can be removed - as befits a proper Jeep Wrangler – but it doesn't look like you can take off the roof. If there are bolts you can loosen, Jeep has hidden them behind plastic panels, and the manufacturer gives no instructions on how to remove the roof.

That said, the roof has a soft-top panel that rolls back at the press of a button, so you can zip around almost roofless. When it comes to paintwork, the Sahara comes in six colours, while the Rubicon offers 10.

The interior is luxurious, with ultra-comfy leather seats, a thick steering wheel that feels reassuringly solid in your hands, and a large 12,3-inch touchscreen that responds quickly to input. Speaking of screens: the digital display behind the steering wheel shows tyre pressure, engine temperature, gearbox temperature, oil pressure and battery voltage - all useful info for petrolheads and off-road enthusiasts.