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All-Wheel-Drive 2 - Jeep 6
| 1941 | WILLYS MB |
| 1945 | CJ-2A |
| 1952 | M38-A2 |
| 1955 | CJ-5 |
| 1976 | CJ-7 |
| 1987 | WRANGLER |
| 1997 | WRANGLER |
| 2007 | WRANGLER UNLIMITED |
| Back to nature, but fully connected. |
Here you can see the relatively few steps taken from the beginning to the 2018 model. There are reasons for this, and they are deeply rooted in the “Jeep” brand and, even more so, in the “Wrangler” model name - perhaps
even beyond the reach of rational thought. It's surprising that, of all things, the Wrangler's appearance was described as being particularly true to life.
The essentially cubic shape naturally promised maximum capacity. In the meantime, they even tried to give it something like aerodynamic efficiency by beveling the famous Keystone grille and adding a spoiler to the rear.
The distinction between the shorter two-door models and the longer four-door models also seemed logical.
If you took advantage of one of the many roof options and utilized the not particularly high towing capacity of 1,600 kg, there would be very little left that this vehicle couldn't transport. On top of that, you can fold the spare tire
outside to the front, and an incredibly long way away. If you expected the load to stick out past the rear door, you could simply leave it at home.
By the way, its frame was made of magnesium. Yes, Jeep's engineers used lightweight construction, despite the frame's actually ancient design. But given the Wrangler's intended uses, there was probably no other way,
just as there was no alternative to the rigid front axle, which had at least been converted to coil springs with a five-link suspension. A stabilizer prevented the tall car from leaning too much in fast turns, but it could also be
disengaged for off-road driving.
Which brings us almost to the Rubicon. You may recall that this is the river in northern Italy that Caesar crossed with his troops in 49 B.C., in defiance of orders, an act that has since become a well-known expression for
crossing a boundary. So the Rubicon goes even where land vehicles aren't really supposed to go. Wrangler owners, however, prefer to talk about the fact that you can get out of just about any situation.
At least one person even wanted to be buried in his car for this reason. In any case, Jeep CEO Mike Manley spoke with pride about this, as well as the fact that people are getting the brand tattooed on the arm. He is right
about one thing, though: you probably won't find that kind of devotion at any other mass-market automaker, except perhaps Tesla in recent years. A Jeep is simply something special, and not just in its home country.
Of course, that made the designers' work more difficult. At most, they were allowed to lower the windshield so that the interior rearview mirror remained in place. Or round off the edges of the roof a bit. Modernity finally made
its way under the hood, albeit a little late. The new two-liter engine was, after all, a mild hybrid, and with its 400 Nm, it turned out to be a real powerhouse, even if that torque was measured according to the SAE standard.
They even promised a true plug-in hybrid for 2020, and at least a very efficient diesel engine was introduced in 2019, at the express request of customers, by the way. They're supposed to be particularly nature-loving, so
perhaps that will help anchor the desire for better CO2 levels here.
However, if you take a look at the Rubicon—hailed as the world's best off-road vehicle - that feeling is less apparent. All cars of this type have 33-inch wheels. Both the manual transmission and the eight-speed automatic
transmission feature an off-road gear with an incredible gear ratio of 85:1, naturally complemented by front and rear differentials.
And while the huge tires make the approach and departure angles incredibly steep, the three-quarters-meter fording depth hardly stands out at all. No, the focus is not on environmental sustainability; it is simply taken into
account whenever possible. Take, for example, the removable aluminum doors and the 90 kg weight reduction in the chassis and suspension.
It's still the diesel engine that makes these vehicles at least tolerable. Jeep CEO Manley promised 30 miles per gallon, which would be 7.84 l/100 km, for the most fuel-efficient model, of course. Who knows how much that
actually amounted to in practice. It is interesting, however, that Jeep introduced a new diesel engine just as other manufacturers are finally phasing them out.
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