The Jeep Wrangler is a vehicle that prioritizes off-road capabilities over on-road comfort and refinement. According to a review, the Wrangler’s ride and handling are “foreign notions” and it has a tendency to “jitter about clumsily” with a steering system that has “acres of play”. The review also notes that the cabin is plagued by persistent rattles and squeaks, which can be unsettling for passengers. Additionally, the old Pentastar motor is criticized for its heavy fuel consumption, although the introduction of an eight-speed automatic transmission is seen as a welcome improvement.
Recently, Jeep’s parent company Stellantis updated the Wrangler for the South African market, discontinuing the short wheelbase model and introducing a new long wheelbase version and a double cab pickup variant called the Gladiator. The updated Wrangler retains its iconic boxy design, with minimal exterior changes from the 2020 model. Pricing for the new Wrangler starts at R1,249,000 for the Sahara model, R1,299,000 for the Rubicon, and R1,385,374 for the Gladiator bakkie, all of which come with a five-year warranty and service plan.
The Sahara model comes well-equipped with features such as a heated steering wheel, heated seats, navigation, and leatherette upholstery, as well as driver assistance systems like blind spot monitoring and forward collision warning. The Rubicon model adds off-road-focused features like chunky tires, a swaybar disconnect function, and a heavy-duty full-float Dana rear axle, which provides increased strength and robustness by transferring the vehicle’s weight to the axle tube rather than the axle shaft. However, if off-roading is not a priority, the reviewer suggests that the standard Sahara model may be the better value, offering most of the same features at a lower price point of R50,000 less than the Rubicon.