Chrysler Australia upgrades the Jeep Wrangler

“With impressive sales from star performers such as the new Compass and the segment-dominating Grand Cherokee, Jeep is off to a spectacular start in 2012 – a beginning that will be given even more substance with the new Wrangler, “ said Clyde Campbell, the Managing Director of Chrysler Australia Pty Ltd.

“The extra refinement introduced by the new Pentastar V6, teamed with the five-speed automatic transmission, is part of the ongoing development of a core model in the Jeep range. The driver in particular will appreciate the punchy response and overall smoothness of the Wrangler's new petrol engine,” he continued.

Pentastar 3.6-litre V6 engine
The highly efficient, economical and powerful 3.6-litre Pentastar petrol V6 was introduced to Australia in the latest Jeep Grand Cherokee model, and now makes its appearance in the 2012 Wrangler.

The 60-degree 24-valve V6 incorporates advanced features including a high-pressure die-cast aluminium cylinder block, double overhead camshafts on each cylinder bank and Quad Variable Valve Timing (VVT) to deliver much higher performance than the previous 3.8-litre engine, along with improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.

The new V6, with its lighter, more compact construction and advanced engine management systems, imbues the 2012 Wrangler with a greater sense of urgency that contributes to greater feelings of refinement and driving pleasure.

Power output is 209 kW at 6,350 rpm, while 347 Nm of torque comes in at 4,300 rpm with 90 per cent available from 1800 rpm – all substantial advances over the previous 3.8-litre petrol engine.

In all Jeep Wrangler variants, the smaller-capacity Pentastar V6 brings significant advances in every respect over the larger 3.8-litre engine, underlying Jeep's ongoing drive for increased efficiency, driveability and lower CO2 emissions in all its powerplants.

2.8-litre CRD turbodiesel engine
The Jeep Wrangler is also available with the 2.8-litre four-cylinder CRD turbodiesel upgraded last year to deliver 147kW at 3,600 rpm and 460 Nm of torque between 1,600 and 2,600 rpm (in automatic form - the manual transmission version produces 410 Nm of torque between 2,200 rpm and 2,600 rpm). The manual Wrangler Sport uses just 7.1L/100km of diesel fuel on the combined cycle.

The twin-camshaft, 16-valve CRD turbodiesel also features Stop/Start technology as standard on manual versions, which benefits exhaust emissions as well as maximising fuel economy, especially in urban situations. Stop/Start shuts down the engine when the vehicle is in neutral and the clutch released, then restarts when the clutch is depressed.

The Euro V compliant engine features a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) as standard, and is available with the same five-speed automatic transmission now also available with the Wrangler’s 3.6-litre Pentastar V6, as well as in the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Five-speed automatic transmission
Available with both the new 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 and the 2.8-litre CRD turbodiesel in all Jeep Wrangler models is the W5A580 five-speed automatic transmission that combines smooth function with maximum efficiency to deliver maximum driver enjoyment with high levels of fuel economy. The W5A580 transmission incorporates an electronically modulated torque converter clutch, and offers adaptive electronic control and Electronic Range Select (ERS) driver-interactive manual control.

All versions of the 2012 Jeep Wrangler are also available with six-speed manual transmission.

Design
Jeep Wrangler
There is never any doubt that the 2012 Wrangler is a Jeep. With the hallmark seven-slot grille, round headlights, squared-off, flared fenders and an upright, rectangular windshield it harks right back to the original 1941 model.

The Jeep Wrangler's flat, clamshell bonnet intersects trapezoidal fender flares, which appear as separate mudguard components – similar to some of the first civilian Jeeps. Resistant to dents and corrosion, the bolted-on mudguards are removable.

Once again replicating the original, the Wrangler features exposed hardware including bonnet latches and folding windscreen bumpers. The forged door and windscreen hinges are also exposed.

The Wrangler’s full-framed or half doors are removable, with the full-framed doors also featuring power windows and power door locks. The doors include traditional check straps.

The Wrangler comes with blow-moulded step assists mounted to the body and featuring a diamond plate surface texture. For added body protection, Rubicon models come standard with heavy-duty rock rails.

From the exposed fuel-filler cap to the externally mounted spare tyre, the rear of the Jeep Wrangler maintains its rugged appeal. The tail lights, reminiscent of the 1941 Willys Jeep, are mounted separately from the body.

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Essentially identical to the standard Jeep Wrangler from the B-pillar forward, the Wrangler Unlimited features a radical four-door, open-air design with all the familiar Jeep-signature design cues.

With a longer wheelbase, front-hinged rear doors, exposed B-pillar and larger sport bar, the Wrangler Unlimited doesn’t go unnoticed.

The Wrangler Unlimited has a 523 millimetres longer wheelbase with full-framed or half rear doors is encompassed by taut lines and sharp angles appearing not so much styled as constructed. The result is a design that is simple, strong and purpose-built, giving Wrangler Unlimited a military quality: upright and rugged, imposing without being intimidating.

Providing easy entry and exit, all four doors on the Wrangler Unlimited are front-hinged, with inside and outside handles, and windows that travel all the way down. Rear doors feature exposed forged hinges and open a full 90 degrees.

More open-air fun
With hundreds of different top, door and windscreen combinations, all Jeep Wrangler models offer a three-piece modular hardtop – Jeep's Freedom Top™ – which features left- and right-front passenger panels and a rear panel. The left- and right-front passenger panels may be stored inside the vehicle, while the rear section can remain in place or be removed separately.

Jeep history
With a history going back more than 70 years, Jeep has become an undisputed world leader in the SUV and dedicated off-road segments. The Jeep symbol is a clear-cut statement expressing capability, toughness, reliability and passenger comfort in all sorts of road and off-road conditions.

Jeep CJ
The first civilian Jeep vehicle, the CJ-2A, was produced in 1945, four years after the original military versions were introduced.

Willys advertisements marketed the Jeep as a work vehicle for farmers and construction workers. It came with a tailgate, side-mounted spare tyre, larger headlights, an external fuel cap and many more items that its military predecessors did not include.

The CJ-3A model appeared in 1948. It was very similar to the previous model but featured a one-piece windscreen and retained the original L-head four-cylinder engine.

The CJ Model was updated in 1953 to become the CJ-3B. It had a taller front grille and bonnet than its military predecessor in order to accommodate the new Hurricane F-Head four-cylinder engine.

The CJ-3B remained in production until 1968 and a total of 155,494 were manufactured in the U.S. In 1953, Willys-Overland was sold to the Kaiser Company, which began an extensive research and development program that would broaden the Jeep product range.

Two years later in 1955, Kaiser introduced the CJ-5, based on the 1951 Korean War M-38A1, with its rounded front-mudguard design. It was slightly larger than the CJ-3B, as it featured an increased wheelbase and overall length. Improvements in engines, axles, transmissions and seating comfort made the CJ-5 an ideal vehicle for the public's growing interest in off-road vehicles.

The CJ-5 featured softer styling lines, including rounded body contours. A long-wheelbase model was introduced and was known as CJ-6. Apart from a longer wheelbase, the CJ-6 was almost identical to the CJ-5. Jeep also introduced a forward-control cab-over-engine variation to the CJ line in 1956.

The Jeep CJ-5 had the longest production run of any Jeep vehicle, from 1954 to 1984. In the 16 years of Kaiser ownership, manufacturing plants were established in 30 countries, and Jeep vehicles were marketed in more than 150 countries.

In 1951, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) declared the Jeep 4x4 a cultural icon and saluted it as one of the world’s eight automotive masterpieces. In 2002, a 1952 Willys M38A1, the military Jeep the CJ-5 was derived from, was added to MOMA’s permanent collection of significant vehicles, with the institution describing it as “the best Jeep ever built.”

In 1962, Jeep introduced the first automatic transmission in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, in the Wagoneer line (a predecessor to the Jeep Cherokee). The 1962 Jeep Wagoneer was also the first four-wheel-drive vehicle with an independent front suspension.

In 1965, a new “Dauntless” V6 engine was introduced as an option on both the CJ-5 and CJ-6. The 155-horsepower (116 kW) engine almost doubled the horsepower of the standard four-cylinder engine. It was the first time a Jeep CJ could be equipped with a V6.

In 1970, Kaiser Jeep was purchased by American Motors Corporation (AMC). Four-wheel-drive vehicles were more popular than ever and, by 1978, total Jeep vehicle production was up to 600 vehicles a day – more than three times the production at the start of the decade.

All Jeep CJs came equipped with AMC-built 304 (5.0-litre) or 360 (5.9-litre) cubic inch V8 engines. AMC equipped both the CJ-5 and CJ-6 with heavier axles, bigger brakes and a wider track.

Another first introduced by Jeep in 1973 was Quadra-TracŪ, the first automatic full-time four-wheel-drive system. Quadra-TracŪ was available in full-size Jeep trucks and wagons as well as the CJ-7.

In 1976, AMC introduced the CJ-7, the first major change in Jeep design in 20 years. The CJ-7 had a slightly longer wheelbase than the CJ-5 in order to allow space for an automatic transmission. For the first time, the CJ-7 offered an optional moulded plastic top and steel doors. Both the CJ-7 and CJ-5 models were built until 1983 when demand for the CJ-7 left AMC no choice but to discontinue the CJ-5, after a 30-year production run.

The Scrambler, introduced in 1981, was a Jeep similar to the CJ-7 but with a longer wheelbase, known internationally as the CJ-8.

Jeep Wrangler (YJ)
In 1983, the growing market for compact four-wheel-drive vehicles still sought the utilitarian virtues of the Jeep CJ series, but consumers also were seeking more of the creature comforts found in passenger cars. AMC responded to this demand by discontinuing the CJ series and introducing the 1987 Jeep Wrangler (YJ).

Although the Wrangler shared the familiar open-body profile of the CJ-7, it contained few common parts with its famous predecessor. Mechanically, the Wrangler had more in common with the Cherokee than the CJ-7. The Wrangler YJ had square headlights, which was a first (and last) for this type of Jeep. The YJ model exceeded 630,000 units.

On August 5, 1987, about a year after the introduction of the Wrangler, AMC was sold to the Chrysler Corporation and the popular Jeep brand became a part of Chrysler's Jeep/Eagle Division.

Jeep Wrangler (TJ)
The 1997 Jeep Wrangler (TJ) looked very similar to the CJ-7. Indeed its 'retro' look was quite deliberate, but very different from a mechanical standpoint. Nearly 80 percent of the vehicle parts were newly designed. The TJ used a four-link coil suspension, similar to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and featured a new interior, including driver and passenger air bags.

The Jeep Wrangler (TJ) retained several classic Jeep features such as round headlights, a fold-down windshield (first seen in 1940) and removable doors, as well as a choice of a soft top or removable hard top. A factory-fitted sport bar was also standard.

Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited
Building on the successful, original Jeep formula with an all-new frame, exterior and interior design, engine, and safety and convenience features, the 2007 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited delivered more capability, refinement, interior space and comfort, open-air fun, power, fuel efficiency, and safety features.

Featuring a one-of-a-kind, four-door open-air design, the Wrangler Unlimited expanded the Jeep experience to new dimensions. With room for five adult passengers – a Wrangler first – and the most cargo space ever offered in a Wrangler, the Unlimited today combines class-leading off-road capability with everyday practicality