REVIEW | Why downsizing does updated Jeep Wrangler good

There are many options for buyers wanting a genuine off-roader with a box-on-wheels design and elements inspired by military application.

At the compact end of the spectrum is the Suzuki Jimny, which has become more popular with the addition of a five-door version.

Chinese brand BAIC has a contender in the B40 (known as the BJ40 elsewhere), but a lack of pedigree and limited dealer network seems to blunt its appeal.

Another Chinese fighter is the GWM Tank 300. Butch looks, a surprisingly upmarket cabin and high list of standard equipment make it a compelling prospect, more so since a diesel derivative is now part of the mix.

If you want to keep it 100% real — no “soft life” sensibilities — the hardy, rudimentary Toyota Land Cruiser 76 station wagon stands like a rock of ages, anachronistic in the modern motoring landscape but still extremely functional.

For buyers opting to spend more, without being willing to compromise on creature comforts, the reinvented Land Rover Defender is a hugely capable and charming proposition. Fitted with standard air suspension, the British machine has proven off-road credentials, endearing retro-themed styling and a tough-looking interior with exposed rivets.

Then there is the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, now offered in electric form in addition to the fire-breathing AMG-badged derivative: both prospects for the sort of buyer who wants to make a statement and is not likely to venture too far off the beaten track.

By now you would have realised there is one omission on the list. Jeep lays claim to being the creator of the rough-and-ready overland template that inspired just about all of the brands above to follow suit.

“Jeep — there's only one” — fighting words emblazoned in black on the front doors of our 2025 Wrangler Sahara test unit. Perhaps the mantra is to Jeep people what “one life, live it” represents to old Defender die-hards.

The last time I had a Wrangler on test was in October 2020, not long after lockdown had lifted and we were making sense of our “new normal” realities.

My verdict on the short wheelbase 3.6l V6 derivative was less than favourable, describing the model as a one trick pony. Yes, the shortened Wrangler was exceptional off-road, but unpleasant everywhere else.

Indulge me as I graft in some quotations from that report.

“Ride and handling are foreign notions to the Wrangler, it jitters about clumsily and the steering has acres of play, inputs merely serve as suggestions as to the direction of travel — it tracks all over the place.

“If that fails to unsettle your nerves, the persistent rattles and squeaks throughout the cabin will do the trick.”

I went on to bemoan the heavy fuel consumption of the old Pentastar motor, though the addition of the eight-speed automatic was welcomed.

Late last year Jeep's parent company Stellantis introduced the updated Wrangler to Mzansi.

Gone is the short wheelbase model. It is now sold only in long wheelbase guise or as a double cab pickup under the Gladiator moniker.

Visually, the Wrangler is the same as it was. Boxy, upright with its proud seven-slot grille, circles for eyes and protruding bumpers. There is a little more in the way of exterior trinkets, but aside from that it remains unchanged from 2020.

Pricing kicks off at R1,249,000 for the Sahara, R1,299,000 for the Rubicon and R1,385,374 for the Gladiator bakkie. That includes a five-year warranty and service plan. We tested the standard Sahara model.

Unless you plan to do hard-core off-roading you may as well save the R50,000 and pick the standard Sahara. There were no glaring omissions from an on-board equipment perspective, stocked with conveniences that include a heated steering wheel, heated seats, a new 12.3" Uconnect 5 interface, standard navigation powered by TomTom and leatherette upholstery with electrically-operated front seats. It is also replete with driver assistance systems such as a blind spot monitor and forward collision warning.

The extra outlay required by the Rubicon grants the buyer standard fitment of chunky off-road rubber, a swaybar disconnect function (for additional wheel travel) and a heavy-duty full-float Dana rear axle.

If you are not an ardent Wrangler aficionado, the technical explanation from Jeep around the benefit of this should clarify:

“By using a full-float axle design, the weight of the vehicle is transferred to the axle tube rather than the axle shaft itself, the axle shaft is subjected only to torsional loads with its sole function being to transmit power to the wheel hub, this makes the axle stronger and more robust.”

The terrain-mashing credentials of the Wrangler were never disputed and that remains the case.

My takeaway from behind the wheel of the Sahara was the significance of the improvements to the vehicle's on-road character.

Unlike that experience in 2020, there seemed to be no rattles or squeaks to speak of in the 2025 Sahara. That might change over time, after removal and refitting of the door and roof panels, but the quietness of our tester was remarkable.

According to Jeep, the reason for the added refinement is due to special acoustic front glass, thicker carpeting and additional sound deadening foam in the windshield header, front cowl and B-pillars. Job well done.

Directional and handling stability has also seen a dramatic improvement. To be fair to that 2020 test unit, a short wheelbase inevitably makes for a choppier impression — so the supremacy of the 2025 long wheelbase was to be expected.

That aside, the steering relayed greater confidence and there appeared to be less of the pronounced lateral motion that the ladder-frame Jeep had always suffered from.

It continues to use solid axles fore and aft. The five-link suspension at the rear is purported to have been revised, in addition to shock tuned for a finer balance between off-road ability and on-road balance. The proof is in the pudding and the latest Wrangler tracks straighter on the freeway. No longer does the driver have to constantly saw at the wheel to maintain a steady course.

Jeep being part of Stellantis means access to ingredients from many other brands. You might be surprised to learn that the new power source under the bonnet has kinship with the 2.0l turbocharged-petrol, four-cylinder from the Alfa Romeo Giulia.

My initial feelings were mixed: surely a boosted four-pot would feel out of sorts, compared with the normally aspirated V6 muscle of the former 3.6l Pentastar.

These were concerns that turned out to be unfounded, merging spiritedly onto the busy M1 freeway. The 2.0l unit has ample shove (200kW/400Nm). That is 6kW less than the V6 but 53Nm more, which makes a difference. Consumption stayed about 11l/100km. Transmission is handled by an eight-speed automatic as before. The Gladiator is still sold with the 3.6l motor.

The new Wrangler retains its formidable off-road credentials but now it gains proper on-road etiquette.