- Jeep is updating its flagship Wrangler SUV with more capability, technology and features.
- The Ford Bronco has been gaining momentum with off-road buyers.
- A key differentiator attracting new customers to the Wrangler is a plug-in hybrid electric version, or PHEV, that the brand calls “4xe.”
Jeep is updating its flagship Wrangler SUV with more capability, technology and features as it battles for off-road buyers against Ford’s newer Bronco.
The 2024 Jeep Wrangler features an evolutionary exterior design, which is typical for the quintessential SUV, and a redesigned interior that includes additional safety, convenience and tech features such as a 12.3-inch center control screen.
“Today, we are raising the bar once again by combining the most capable Wrangler to date, with more technology, comfort and safety features,” Jeep CEO Christian Meunier, said in a release pegged to the vehicle’s reveal Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show.
In addition to the interior upgrades, the 2024 Wrangler will offer additional off-road features such as larger tires and an 8,000-pound-capacity warn winch. It also adds many additional safety features and new roof options similar to what Ford’s Bronco has offered since it arrived to market in 2021.
Jeep, specifically with the Wrangler, has long dominated the off-road SUV segment. Many competitors from General Motors, Ford Motor and others have come and gone, but the Wrangler has remained the industry leader.
However, the Ford Bronco has been gaining momentum — following some launch and supply chain problems. Ford sold 117,057 Broncos last year. That compares with 181,409 Jeep Wranglers sold. The sales gap between the two significantly narrowed during the first quarter of this year, however, to fewer than 2,000 vehicles.
A key differentiator attracting new customers to the Wrangler is a plug-in hybrid electric version, or PHEV, that the brand calls “4xe,” a play on the brand’s “4×4” off-road reputation combined with electrification.
The Wrangler 4xe has been the bestselling PHEV in the U.S. for the past two years, according to the company. The automaker hopes to further expand those sales buy offering 4xe on a lower-priced model called the Wrangler Sport S.
“I think we shocked the world a little bit with Wrangler being the No. 1 selling plug-in hybrid now two years in a row,” Jim Morrison, head of Jeep in North America, said during a media event ahead of the SUV’s reveal. “For us, I’m pretty sure that competition didn’t see that coming. But it’s a really good Jeep, and it’s electrified.”
The 2024 Jeep Wrangler will be available in Sport, Willys, Sahara, High Altitude, Rubicon and Rubicon 392 models. Ordering is open now, and vehicles will start to arrive in U.S. Jeep dealerships later in 2023, the company said.
A Jeep spokesman said pricing for the 2024 Wrangler will be announced closer to the vehicle’s launch. Current Wrangler starting prices range from about $31,000 for an entry-level model to more than $82,000 for a V-8-powered Rubicon 392 model.
Jeep is an important part of parent company Stellantis‘ electrification plans, which include offering an “electrification” option on the entire lineup by the end of 2025. The company is targeting that 50% of Jeep sales will be all-electric in the U.S. — and 100% in Europe — by 2030.
Stellantis is investing more than 30 billion euros ($32.7 billion) through 2025 in electrification and software to hit the company’s target to sell 5 million all-electric vehicles by 2030, including all passenger car sales in Europe and 50% passenger cars and light-duty trucks in the U.S.
Source: Business - cnbc.com
