ANCAP issue looms for 2018 Jeep Wrangler

Unless decisions are made quickly, Jeep’s new JL Wrangler will launch in Australia late in 2018 without Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), almost certainly ensuring it won’t gain the maximum five stars from the independent crash test authority, ANCAP.

The lack of crash-preventing AEB for Wrangler was confirmed at a media briefing on the new vehicle in Los Angeles today in the run-up to its reveal tomorrow at the LA motor show.

All the details of the new Wrangler and its preliminary Australian-specification are here.

Jeep touted more than 75 available active and passive safety and security features at the briefing, including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection, a reversing camera with dynamic gridline, electronic stability control with electronic roll mitigation and four airbags.

But Wrangler chief engineer Brian Leys confirmed AEB, which is a proven life-saver, is not among them. However, he told Australian journalists at the LA briefing that investigations were underway to find out if it could be fitted to the JL.

“We will investigate and continue to look at that going forward,” he said. “We are looking at it, so we will see based on the testing as it comes through and we will introduce things that are necessary.

“We have to understand how it fits with our product.”

Leys refused to offer timing on how soon AEB could be added to the Wrangler if it got the green light. There are no sensors, radar or cameras fitted to the front of the Wrangler currently.

Local Jeep distributor FCA Australia is understood to be pushing for AEB to be added to the Wrangler’s safety arsenal.

“It’s an ongoing conversation at the moment with Australia,” said FCA APAC communications chief Lucy McLellan.

While there are plenty of 4x4s and other vehicles sold without AEB in Australia, the problem facing Jeep with the Wrangler is that it becomes crucial for five stars in 2018 when ANCAP’s testing protocols are commonised with Euro NCAP.

“From next year, it will be very difficult for a model to achieve a five-star ANCAP safety rating without effective safety assist systems such as AEB and lane support,” said ANCAP chief executive, James Goodwin.

Having only front-side airbags and no curtain airbags also makes it more challenging for the Wrangler to achieve good pole test scores, thus putting its five star chances under further challenge.

Missing five stars is now a major issue for any car manufacturer and is widely reported in motoring and general media. Jeep, which has had its share of varied publicity in recent years in Australia, would understandably be keen to avoid that sort of spotlight.

ANCAP says AEB fitment results in a 38 per cent reduction in real-world rear-end crashes, while Victoria's Transport Accident Commission says AEB can avoid 35 per cent of all rear-end crashes and mitigate damage in 53 per cent of rear-end collisions.