EVER since the Marlboro man lit his first cigarette, there have been brands and products that have inspired visions and impressions of rugged, “catch your own meal” masculinity. Fortunately, the cowboy hat and chaps never really gained much worldwide appeal, but certain vehicles have definitely retained this image. The Jeep Wrangler is one of these.
Still instantly recognisable as the iconic all-American allterrain, general purpose vehicle, the Wrangler is a direct descendant of the original Jeep, introduced in 1941. Though technical innovations and more modern interior designs and comfort features have naturally been added over the years, the traditional seven-slot grille flanked by round headlamps, trapezoidal wheelarches, exposed door hinges, fold-down windscreen, removable doors, and tailgatemounted spare wheel have been retained throughout the evolution of the model. And now Jeep has added this, the Unlimited model, sporting two extra doors to widen the appeal even further, perhaps to cowboys (or cowgirls) with a family…
By adding the extra doors and also ensuring that the second row of seats provides adequate legroom, the Unlimited’s wheelbase has grown by 523 mm in length over the two-door Wrangler models. Overall length is now 4 750 mm, which includes the tailgate-mounted spare wheel, and a front bumper that extends more than 300 mm in some places. Both of these, but particularly the latter, require consideration when negotiating urban parking bays.
As with all the latest generation Wrangler models, improved passenger comfort has been achieved by making the vehicle even wider, the overall width now standing just shy of the two-metre mark. Various openroof configurations are on offer.
Our Sahara specification model sported the Freedom solid roof, which can either be removed completely, exposing all seats and the luggage area under a covered roll-cage or, alternatively, panels above the driver and front passenger seat can be removed separately to create a targa configuration.
Some good planning needs to be undertaken before removing any of these solid roof bits though, as there are no onboard storage facilities. And it is a difficult job for a single person to undertake. A Sunrider folding soft top is fitted as standard and can be raised when the various panels have been removed.
Stowed away, this soft-top roof lies across the rear of the luggage area, limiting access slightly.
In keeping with the rugged character of the Wrangler, there is a drain plug in the passenger footwell for rinsing out the cabin after a long day off the beaten track. Carpets are easily removed and seats are finished in water repellent upholstery.
Height adjustment is provided for the driver’s seat and, although more lateral support would be nice, most who drove it commented favourably on the comfort of the seats. It’s a pity then that this Wrangler suffers from the same annoying design fault that nearly every righthand drive Chrysler product suffers from – a cramped driver’s footwell. There is just no place for one’s left foot to rest comfortably.
The additional second row of seating in the Unlimited models boasts good legroom and features a 60:40 split back with tumble action to fold flat and increase the luggage area. With no cargo cover, and only a small, covered compartment below the boot board, the lack of a secure, out of sight, luggage storage option is a concern in this market.
The large-circumference steering wheel has a light action, which helps with manoeuvring the Unlimited both on- and off-road. We would have preferred a bit less play, a trait that results in fairly constant see-sawing at the wheel in order to keep the vehicle tracking in a straight line, and then to counter the slight body sway that results from corrective inputs.
Like the front windscreen, the seating position and all controls have an upright feel to them. Instrumentation and controls on the Wrangler are clear and simple, although it did take some of us a little time to differentiate between the centre-console mounted electric window controls and the door-mounted central locking buttons. Considering all the other convenience features fitted as standard, including an MP3 and DVD-compatible touch screen audio system, the lack of electronic adjustment for the exterior mirrors seems a bit odd.
Two new engines have been introduced to the Wrangler range, and the 2,8-litre CRD common-rail turbodiesel option featured in our test unit performed admirably under all conditions.
Bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic was dispensed with comfortably, thanks to the combination of low torque and smooth operation of the fivespeed automatic transmission. Jeep has spent of lot of time concentrating on sound deadening and insulation for the cabin but, there is still a healthy diesel rattle to be heard that sentimentally suits the character of the vehicle. Negotiating gaps in the traffic needs to be planned ahead, as the delay between pressing down the accelerator and the reaction to the sudden call for a change of pace from the 130 kW, 410 N.m engine needs to be factored in – not that the engine isn’t willing, as the 0-100 km “sprint” time of 11,91 seconds indicates. A top speed of 170 km/h will be of little interest to most owners of an Unlimited, though some consideration should be taken when stopping this more than 2-ton Jeep. The brake pedal has a soft initial feel and long travel, necessitating a harder than expected stomp. That said, the Wrangler’s braking performance wasn’t completely unacceptable considering the type of vehicle.
Slow and steady, preferably with some serious obstacles ahead of it, is what best suits the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. A second-generation Command- Trac, part-time two-speed transfer case, featuring a 2,72:1 reduction ratio, is fitted to all Wrangler Sahara models. A fairly old-fashioned, five-link, solid axle suspension is fitted at both ends, but there is very little that will halt the
Wrangler’s progress in off-road conditions. The longer wheelbase and standard side-step bars will be frowned upon by hard-core off-road enthusiasts but, even with these slight handicaps, the Unlimited provides more pioneering spirit than most weekend fun-seekers will require.
