Jeep is working on the next generation Jeep Wrangler, which, according to the company boss, will use an all-new lighter weight architecture. This will be the first time the iconic off-roader won’t use a variant of the AIL Storm platform which has been around for almost 30 years.
Speaking to Edmunds, Mike Manley, Jeep president and CEO, said the brand needs to make sure the next version is more advanced to ensure it survives into the future. This means it will have to be much lighter in weight to help improve fuel economy and emissions.
“There will be no compromises. It has to be its own architecture. When I think about the next-generation Wrangler at this moment in time, we are the benchmark, so I want to push the benchmark even further.”
It’s set to use a stand-alone layout not based on any other Jeep or Fiat product, and it’s expected to bring vast weight reductions which will help with improving economy and performance. In its current form the Wrangler weighs a hefty 2050kg.
Manley said powertrain engineers are actively working on advanced new engine and transmission setups to help the next model pass ever-tightening EPA (Environment Protection Agency) regulations. This means we could see the company’s latest eight-speed auto working its way into the mix.
At the moment, the current model with the relatively new 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 has an average fuel consumption rate of 11.8L/100km (four-door softtop manual), while the diesel uses an average of 8.3L/100km. Only five-speed auto and six-speed manual transmissions are offered.
The new model is expected to appear some time in 2018.
