Jeep Wrangler Goes Both Ways
Motor Trend|October 2020
TWO FIRSTS IN THE WORKS FOR JEEP: A FACTORY-INSTALLED V-8 AND A PLUG-IN HYBRID
Scott Evans, Sean Holman, Alisa Priddle
Jeep Wrangler Goes Both Ways

The Jeep Wrangler identity is built on doing one thing and doing it well. Facing the future, the off-road brand’s flagship has decided to go both ways: green and mean.

The Wrangler, like many vehicles, is caught between two worlds. In the world of today, customers are buying more power with less concern about fuel economy, and parent company FCA’s unofficial motto is to Hellcat all the things. In the world of tomorrow, strict regulations worldwide are pushing automakers toward hybrid and electric vehicles. Jeep has decided not to decide and just built both.

On the same day, Jeep announced both the Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid and the Rubicon 392 Concept with a 6.4-liter V-8. One deals with the reality of today, the other with the reality of tomorrow.

Believe it or not, Jeep has never offered a Wrangler with a V-8 from the factory. Ever since the Wrangler launched as a 1987 model (the code-named YJ generation), power-hungry enthusiasts and aftermarket outfits such as AEV have taken matters into their own hands, swapping all sorts of V-8s into their off-roaders. The last time Jeep’s famous utility vehicle, the pre-Wrangler CJ, was available with a factory-installed V-8 was in 1981. That vehicle had a 304-cubic-inch pushrod V-8 that made 125 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque. How time flies.

This story is from the October 2020 edition of Motor Trend.

Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 2020 edition of Motor Trend.

Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,000+ magazines and newspapers.

RELATED STORIES
JEEP BEACH 2022
Four Wheeler

JEEP BEACH 2022

10 days, 25,000-plus Jeeps, 225,000-plus spectators

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2023
JEEP UNVEILS ITS 1ST ELECTRIC SUVS FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE
Techlife News

JEEP UNVEILS ITS 1ST ELECTRIC SUVS FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE

Jeep will start selling two fully electric SUVs in North America and another one in Europe over the next two years.

time-read
1 min  |
September 10, 2022
THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT
Four Wheeler

THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT

TWO WAYS TO BUILD A JEEP WRANGLER LJ

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2022
FANTASTIC 4X4s
Four Wheeler

FANTASTIC 4X4s

5 great 4WDs that make a perfect first off-roader

time-read
8 mins  |
July 2022
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon
Four Wheeler

2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon

Third report: Many kinds of hauling

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2022
6OTH ANNIVERSARY OF FOUR WHEELER MAGAZINE
Four Wheeler

6OTH ANNIVERSARY OF FOUR WHEELER MAGAZINE

SIX DECADES OF COVERING NEW VEHICLES, HOW-TO'S, ROAD TESTS, EVENTS, AND THE OFF-ROAD CULTURE

time-read
10+ mins  |
February 2022
2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon EcoDiesel
Four Wheeler

2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon EcoDiesel

Final report: It's the long-haul wasteland warrior rig

time-read
6 mins  |
February 2022
REDUCE THE NOISE
Four Wheeler

REDUCE THE NOISE

How to quiet your Wrangler JL interior

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2021
Quadratec's YJ
Four Wheeler

Quadratec's YJ

Don’t let the square headlights fool you too much, this is a JL with some crafty throwbacks to the ’87-’95 Jeep Wrangler. It all started when Quadratec, a shining star in the Jeep aftermarket world, turned 30 years old.

time-read
1 min  |
May 2021
Precursor to luxury: Looking back to the Kaiser Jeep Super Wagoneer
Four Wheeler

Precursor to luxury: Looking back to the Kaiser Jeep Super Wagoneer

As we put hands to keyboard on this issue of Four Wheeler, Jeep has only begun to tease us with its latest entry in the premium luxury SUV field: the Grand Wagoneer concept.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2021