Official: Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 ruled out for Oz

Jeep Australia has confirmed the savage 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 will not make it to local shores as global executives reveal the clock is ticking for V8-powered Jeep models of any kind.

The confirmation was made to carsales off the back of comments made by Jeep exterior design studio boss Mark Allen, who this week encouraged anyone looking for an eight-cylinder Jeep to be quick about it.

Of course, that’s all very well for overseas buyers, but in Australia there’s no V8-powered Jeep models left in showrooms; they died with the last-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee.

“Not going to comment too much on future production … but if you want a V8 Jeep I’d get one sooner rather than later,” he said.

The 5.7-litre HEMI V8 is being offered under the bonnet of the new-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee in left-hand drive countries, but will be unavailable in Australia due to the cost of engineering and homologating the model for our market.

The Wrangler 392 is another casualty, and although Allen wouldn’t be drawn into discussing the possibility of a Jeep Gladiator 392, the Wrangler-based ute is ripe for V8 treatment – again, in left-hand drive markets only.

How about a V8 HEMI-backed Jeep Wagoneer or Grand Wagoneer for Australia? Sorry, folks…

In any case, these flagship bent-eight models may only be short-term prospects for all markets given Jeep’s parent Stellantis is moving away from V8s, as evidenced by its new ‘Hurricane’ twin-turbo straight-six petrol engine.

Promised to offer V8 levels of power and torque, the new force-fed six is cleaner and more efficient than the current array of Stellantis V8s, with the added bonus of being electrification-friendly.

Derived from the existing four-cylinder Hurricane engine already serving as the basis for Jeep’s 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain, the gutsier twin-turbo mill could ultimately serve as the interim replacement for the high-output V8s powering models like the Rubicon 392 and Dodge Challenger Hellcat – especially if it’s electrified.

In the meantime, Wrangler fans will have to make do with the existing 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 or the inbound turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine recently uncovered by carsales.

Jeep Australia had its hand firmly in the air for the Wrangler Rubicon 392, but faced an uphill battle given the flagship 4x4 was only ever confirmed for LHD production.

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