Jeep Wrangler to downsize to 2.0-litre petrol four

The yo-yoing saga that is the Australian Jeep Wrangler line-up looks set for another big shake-up with the arrival of three new variants, including a fresh ‘Shorty’, all powered by a previously unavailable four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.

carsales uncovered the new variants within the federal government’s Road Vehicle Regulator database, which states the new turbo four will be fitted under the bonnet of the two-door Wrangler Overland and the four-door Overland and Rubicon Unlimited.

Jeep Australia would not comment on the homologation application and it’s not yet clear whether the downsized turbo engine will replace or arrive in addition to the aging Pentastar 3.6-litre petrol V6 that powers all Aussie Wranglers since diesel power was axed from the MY21 range in September 2020.

Since then, in mid-2021, the Wrangler line-up was slashed to just four models including one short-wheelbase Rubicon variant and the base price increased by $9000 to $61,750 plus on-road costs.

That was upped by a further $8000 this month, when price hikes across the range now see the Wrangler line-up spanning $69,750-$78,450 plus ORCs.

Given the new Wrangler four-cylinder line-up hasn’t been formally announced by Jeep Australia yet, there’s no real indication as to how much the 2.0-litre Wranglers will cost, but it would be reasonable to expect slightly lower asking prices than their six-cylinder stablemates.

The return of the four-cylinder Overland ‘Shorty’ should also serve to lower the range’s entry price.

Using the current range as a guide, the two-door Wranglers typically carry a saving of around $5000 compared to their four-door siblings, so a two-door Overland V6 would in theory start at around the $70,000 mark, minus another grand or two for the smaller engine.

For reference, the last two-door Overland offered here cost $62,250 plus on-road costs before it was axed along with the entry-level Sport for the 2021 model year, so we wouldn’t expect much change from $65K for the base 2.0-litre Wrangler two-door.

In terms of standard equipment and off-road hardware, you can expect the 2.0-litre versions to match the sixes every step of the way, with the only difference being the more frugal powerplant lurking under the bonnet.

The new engine is a direct-injection 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit fitted with a single-scroll turbocharger and variable valve timing, which according to the ROVER database will produce an even 200kW of power.

No torque figure is mentioned in the Australian Design Rule approval document, but the same engine produces 400Nm in Wrangler vehicles sold in some overseas markets.

These outputs make the new engine, on which the Stellantis group’s new ‘Hurricane’ twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six is based, just 9kW behind the familiar Pentastar V6 (209kW) but well ahead on torque (V6: 347Nm @ 4300rpm), especially given all 400Nm are on tap over 3000-4500rpm.

Other applications of this engine – in varying states of tune – include the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Maserati Ghibli Hybrid and even the new Maserati Grecale, not to mention the plug-in hybrid Jeep Wrangler 4xe and inbound Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe.

With the obvious electrification compatibility, it remains to be seen whether Australian vehicles will feature the eTorque mild-hybrid system, but the likelihood is high given its presence in all other major markets.

Transmission duties will be taken care of by an eight-speed automatic as per the rest of the local Wrangler line-up.

According to the ROVER data, the four-cylinder Wrangler gives nothing away in terms of braked towing capacity, with Unlimited versions retaining the existing Wrangler V6’s 2495kg maximum rating.

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