Looking to be one of the first in your area with Jeep's latest and greatest Wrangler on order?
Well, it may not be as easy as you think. That order paperwork could say 2018 Wrangler, but it might not be the right 2018 Wrangler.
Huh?
Yeah, it is a bit confusing. But to put it simply, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will be producing two versions of the 2018 Wrangler over the next few months. One is the current JK edition, while the other is the next-generation JL Wrangler.
And with order banks opening soon for that newer version, we wanted to take a minute and caution anyone looking to pick up one of these vehicles that what you order may not be what you want.
Already we are seeing several people report they have ordered the new 2018 Wrangler through their local dealership, believing it was the new JL, only to find out it is a 2018 Wrangler JK - which definitely can lead to frustration if you were told this was the newest Wrangler.
Earlier rumors were that FCA was hoping to avoid this confusion by calling the 2018 JK a ‘Wrangler Classic’ in order to differentiate it from the redesigned ’18 Wrangler JL, but there has been no further confirmation from Jeep.
So, if you are planning on ordering one of the new Wranglers, JK or JL, how can you make sure you order what you want?
First off is the obvious. If you have already ordered a 2018 Wrangler as of October 13, then it is definitely a JK version because dealership systems have not opened up yet for the redesigned JL. Some have told us salespeople even assured them it is the new 2018 Wrangler, which is true, but it is just word semantics, as it’s not going to be the new, new Wrangler JL.
When the order banks do open, which should be within a week or so, the easiest way to differentiate will be through specific model/trim codes. For example, the next generation Wrangler JL Unlimited Rubicon will have the model code JLJS74, while the Wrangler JK Unlimited Rubicon is JKJS74.
Here is the entire list, so you’ll know which codes to use for the specific vehicle you want to order:
2018 JL Wrangler model codes:
JLJL72 - Wrangler Sport
JLJS72 - Wrangler Rubicon
JLJL74 - Wrangler Unlimited Sport
JLJP74 - Wrangler Unlimited Sahara
JLJS74 - Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
2018 JK Wrangler model codes:
JKJL72 - Wrangler Sport
JKJP72 - Wrangler Sahara
JKJS72 - Wrangler Rubicon
JKJM74 - Wrangler Unlimited Sport
JKJP74 - Wrangler Unlimited Sahara
JKJS74 - Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
As far as the redesigned Wrangler goes, Jeep recently announced it is moving up the JL's production start to October 16 and will begin shipping to dealerships in mid-January following a 90-day Yard Hold – presumably to flush out any potential bugs or production flaws. According to the current Jeep JL Wrangler schedule, only the Unlimited version with a 3.6L Pentastar engine will be immediately available. Two-door versions are set to begin their production run around the middle of February.
FCA is currently planning to reveal the JL Wrangler during the Los Angeles Auto Show at the end of November.
Happy ordering.
Photo Credit: KGP Photography
