In your face Ford: Jeep unveils V8 Wrangler
Tuesday, 14 July 2020
Jeep certainly isn’t taking Ford’s challenge to its retro-tinged off-road dominance lying down, as following on from yesterday’s teaser the company has revealed a full-blown V8 Wrangler the same day Ford unveils its reborn Bronco.
As well as clearly being planned to try to steal some of Ford’s thunder, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept is also obviously close to production-ready, with Jim Morrison, head of the Jeep brand for FCA North America saying the company will be using the concept to “gauge customer reaction”, which is car industry code for “wave your money at us and it’s done”.
“Jeep Wrangler enthusiasts have been asking us for a Wrangler V8, and our new Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept proves that we have the ability to make that happen,” Morrison said.
“From the recently introduced Wrangler EcoDiesel, to our award-winning Jeep Gladiator, and the upcoming Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, Jeep is clearly listening to its customers.
**READ MORE:
* Jeep teases V8 Wrangler to steal Bronco's thunder
* Road test review: Jeep Gladiator Overland
* Can Ford's Bronco take on Jeep's Wrangler?
* Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is one of the most capable 4x4s ever: we get it stuck
**
“We are anxious to gauge their reaction to this new Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept, a vehicle that delivers an incredible and unmatched level of fun-to-drive performance and capability, on- and off-road.”
While Morrison is still playing the “Will they/won't they” game, it has been reported by Road & Track in America that Jeep’s Toledo plant has already built 30 prototypes, something that would never happen for just a one-off concept.
If (let’s face it: when) Jeep puts the Wrangler 392 into production it will be the first V8-powered Wrangler and the first in the Wrangler’s extended timeline since the 1981 Jeep CJ (the Wrangler technically replaced the CJ in 1986, even though they are “conceptually consistent”) that packed a 5.0-litre V8 that delivered a throbbing 93kW of power and 298Nm torque.
The Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept packs a bit more than that, however, with its 6.4-litre Hemi V8 pumping out a healthy 336kW of power and 610Nm torque, which is good enough for Jeep to claim a zero to 60mph (96kmh) time of “less than 5 seconds”, which sounds vaguely terrifying in a Wrangler…
To accommodate the 6.4-litre V8 and a “more robust” 8-speed transmission, the 392 Concept features upgraded engine mounts and a modified frame. It also packs Dana 44 axles, a full-time two-speed transfer case, electric front and rear axle lockers, 37-inch mud-terrain tyres and a Jeep Performance Parts 2-inch lift kit from Mopar combine with suspension enhancements to offer ”more off-road capability than ever in a Jeep Wrangler” according to the company.
While the appearance of the Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept is clearly timed to deflect attention from Ford’s Wrangler-challenging Bronco reveal, the fact it packs a V8 is also a none-too-subtle jab at the Blue Oval, as the Bronco won’t be coming with a V8, making do instead with Ford’s admittedly-potent twin-turbo V6 petrol engine as its powertrain range-topper.
And they’re not even pretending to be subtle about it as Jeep released a short teaser video above showing the 392 Concept firing up and roaring off, startling a bunch of wild horses (y’know, broncos) in the process.
Although, to be fair, they also released another teaser video for the forthcoming plug-in hybrid Wrangler showing it cruising silently past a bunch of gently dosing wild horses as well. Well played Jeep, well played.