New Jeep Wrangler facelift 2024 review: great off-road, but too expensive

Verdict

The Jeep Wrangler still feels more like a Tonka toy than an SUV. It’s lost none of its rugged charm, and it remains almost unstoppable off-road – even fresh out of the box. The facelifted Wrangler’s infotainment setup is impressive and new safety features are welcome additions, but to us the £60k-plus starting price feels far too high, not least because the accomplished Land Rover Defender is available for similar money.

If there’s one model that encapsulates everything Jeep fans love about the brand it’s the Wrangler 4x4. The fifth generation of the off-roading icon arrived here in 2018, was given some improvements three years later, and has now received another series of upgrades for 2024. Just to keep things feeling fresh.

The Wrangler has never struggled in the looks department, so the styling changes are minimal. The signature seven-slot grille has been tweaked and has new textured black patterns, while a new ‘stealth’ antenna is integrated into the windscreen. This gives the Wrangler a cleaner look, and ensures it won’t break off when you’re out on the trail. There are four new wheel designs too, with sizes ranging from 17 to 20 inches.

The most noticeable change is inside. The Wrangler features a new 12.3-inch touchscreen that dominates the dashboard – significantly bigger than the 8.4-inch display fitted before. It’s not just an improvement in terms of size or resolution; the new setup is quick to respond and runs the latest version of Jeep’s Uconnect infotainment system, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, plus Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant.

The old fashioned, analogue instruments remain, and the centre console is still covered in a litany of physical buttons, dials and switches, plus enormous levers for the transmission that make you feel like you’re in mission control.

Safety kit has received a big boost, though; the new Wrangler gets additional side airbags, rock rails to help side-impact performance, plus drowsy-driver detection, lane-departure warning and traffic-sign recognition.

24

Jeep may have focused on creature comforts with this facelift, but the Wrangler hasn’t gone soft. It still uses the proven body-on-frame design and five-link coil suspension, plus every Wrangler is fitted with Dana solid front and rear axles, a two-speed transfer case, and four skid plates to protect vital components off-road. 

The new Wrangler Rubicon we’re testing focuses even more on off-road capabilities, and benefits from a stronger Dana 44 full-floating solid rear axle, Tru-Lok front and rear-axle lockers, and an electronic front sway-bar disconnect to allow the wheels to move independently when off-road. To complete the look, the Rubicon’s 17-inch rims are wrapped in a set of BFGoodrich mud-terrain tyres.

We didn’t set out to disprove the Wrangler’s off-road prowess or its ‘Trail Rated’ credentials, but were pleased to see that, fresh out of the box, the Wrangler Rubicon can tackle rock-crawling, wading and tight trails with such ease it could almost be stifling a yawn. 

However, we noticed that because of the way the bonnet is shaped, it’s sometimes difficult to see the flared fenders, and tell where the wheels are without leaning forward a great deal. This makes the car difficult to place both off and on-road, despite making the Wrangler feel surprisingly compact.

Although that could also be because of the slightly cramped cabin, which feels only just wide enough to fit two adults up front. There’s barely enough space for the auto-only Wrangler’s two pedals – making us very glad there’s no manual option – but that also means there’s nowhere to put your left foot, forcing anyone particularly long limbed to drive with awkwardly crossed legs.

24

We were thankful for the standard-fit nine-speaker Alpine sound system, which helps distract from the amount of noise produced by the chunky rubber on the Wrangler Rubicon – very noticeable at higher speeds. That said, we tested the more road-biased Wrangler Sahara model (with much less aggressive tyres) to see how they change things, and didn’t notice that much of a difference here. 

While other markets can have the Wrangler with a V6 or V8 engine, or even a plug-in hybrid powertrain in the Wrangler 4xe, the UK only gets a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol. It’s not the sweetest sounding engine, but the amount of grunt gives the Wrangler an impressive turn of pace. That said, this isn’t the most enjoyable car to drive on twisty roads, where the Wrangler tends to pitch and roll, jostling any occupants as it goes.

The eight-speed automatic kicks down hard when you plant your foot on the accelerator, but the drivetrain quickly settles down once you ease off. Meanwhile, the steering is slow, so you’ll be crossing your arms and shuffling the wheel lots around town and in tight car parks. Thankfully it isn't overly heavy.

Prices for the new Jeep Wrangler start from £61,125, or £63,125 for the beefed up Rubicon model. That’s dangerous territory, because the more desirable, more spacious but no less capable Land Rover Defender has a similar starting price, whether you’re looking at the two-door Defender 90 or four-door Defender 110.

Diehard Jeep fans are unlikely to be put off by the Wrangler’s compromises – especially those planning to spend even more modifying the car for hardcore adventuring. But consider it food for thought for anyone looking at the wider field of 4x4s for their next car.