Halloween might be over and Thanksgiving looking everyone square in the face, but for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles; it is really Jeep Wrangler season. Maybe call it ‘JLs-giving’.
With FCA’s latest Wrangler reboot scheduled for a North American unveiling later this month, the automaker has lately been slowly rolling out detail after detail on its newest vehicle, and has really opened up the spigot over the past few days.
From new pictures thanks to a New Zealand press event, to fuel economy ratings, vehicle cost and updated color offerings, as well as special features, fans of the Jeep Wrangler are beginning to get a full picture of everything the redesign will offer.
First from New Zealand, where a select few automotive writers were invited to drive the 2018 Wrangler JL and take some photos that showed off, among other things, how the vehicle will look inside as well as with its windshield folded down.
Yes, that’s right. Folded down.
Despite an owners manual that indicated the windshield would retain that unique-to-the-line feature, there were some who held out and said the JL would have a fixed frame.
But not only do these press photos display the windshield folded down, FCA engineers have made the process much simpler than previous generations. Some quick unbolting and the frame is ready to fold. Jeep even gives you the tools needed. In reality though, dipping that frame down isn’t for everyone – and we certainly don’t advocate it for those who highway drive – but it will make it easier for those who want the ultimate in trail visibility.
Now a folding windshield may not be for everyone, but for those who roll with a soft top, getting some fresh air without taking the whole top down can sometimes be nice when you are in a hurry. Current edition Wranglers do have a Sunrider feature which pulls the front section of top halfway back, but the JL edition sports a new ‘Open Air’ mode which gives rear passengers sun coverage while removing all windows and rear soft top attachments.
FCA engineers have also made it easier to take that soft top up and down thanks to a hardware redesign. The current design folds the top and hardware all the way down to a (mostly) flat position. For the Wrangler JL, its hardware now sits attached on an angle when reclined and locks into position. When you are ready to put the top back up, this locking mechanism detaches and serves as an assist to push the top upright.
For 2018, the Wrangler JLU will get a slight bump in fuel economy according to Environmental Protection Agency ratings. The automatic version lists as 18 mpg (city) and 23 mpg (hwy) for a combined 20 mpg. On the manual, it shows at 17/23 for a combined 19 mpg. No word yet on ratings for the 2dr JL. That should translate, according to the EPA, to fuel savings of $1,250 for the Unlimited automatic buyer over a five-year period. Manual Unlimited owners should see a $750 fuel savings over the same timeframe.
However, those fuel savings won’t be enough to cover the additional price difference of a 2018 JKU vs. the outgoing 2017 version.
Thanks to a small error on Jeep.com, we now have an idea on base pricing for the JLU. It will start at $30,445 for the Sport edition and also involve a $995 delivery fee that will put the vehicle at $31,440. This is $2,550 above 2017 JKU pricing, and falls into the range many automotive experts felt the new Wrangler would sticker.
Keep in mind this is for the entry level manual transmission 3.6L Sport Unlimited, which does eliminate a lot of things – like Air Conditioning, 4.10 Rear Axle gearing, Power Windows, Keyless entry and LED exterior lighting, among other equipment. Automatic transmission Wranglers with the same features will most likely top 35k, although figures on the other trim levels have yet to be released.
Jeep has already announced its 2018 JL Wrangler will launch with five color options: Billet Silver, Firecracker Red, Granite Crystal, Bright White and Black. Five others are in the pipeline, according to Jeep, and will be available soon. These include: Nacho Clear Coat, Mojito!, Punk’n Metallic, Ocean Blue and Sting-Gray.
2018 Wrangler JL in Firecracker Red
Those additional five choices did not include pictures, but from what we were told at SEMA, Nacho will resemble the older JK Dozer color, which was an orange-yellow, while Mojito! is a darker version of Hypergreen, Punk’n is darker orange than Nacho, Ocean Blue is somewhat darker than Hydro Blue and Sting-Gray should fall between Billet Silver and Granite Crystal.
The 2018 JL Wrangler is currently in production at Jeep’s Toledo, Ohio, assembly complex and is now available for order from your local dealership. At the moment, only Wrangler JL Unlimited versions with the 3.6L Pentastar and a hardtop are in production, but soft top vehicles are scheduled to reach the line sometime in mid-December.
Two-door JL Wranglers, as well as ones with a 2.0L Hurricane turbocharged power plant, are expected in mid-February. If you are a diesel lover, those vehicles are anticipated in August.
Jeep will officially unveil the JL Wrangler for its North American audience November 29th during a lead in press conference event for the Los Angeles Auto Show.
New 2018 Wrangler JLs are expected on dealer lots around the middle of January.
For more information on the 2018 Wrangler JL, check out out our special JL Wrangler page.
