If you live and breathe the seven-slot grille, you likely remember the Gladiator Farout concept from the 2021 Moab Easter Jeep Safari. This one-off overlanding special packed a ton of off-road hardware, but four big highlights were special grey paint, a black hood graphic, a black grille, and the EcoDiesel engine.
While Jeep is showing off the Wrangler Rubicon FarOut in a different shade of grey, that special grey, the diesel engine, Rubicon base, black grille, and concept of a black hood graphic all carry over from that Gladiator concept. In addition, the Wrangler Rubicon FarOut dials up the luxury with body-color fender flares, LED lights, heated leather seats, and a bevy of advanced driver assistance systems. Unique alloy wheels and all-weather floor mats provide extra style and functionality, while special 3.0 D badging is the cherry on top of this diesel Jeep sundae.
While I really appreciate the availability of a diesel-powered Wrangler, it’s still not a product that made a ton of sense to me. While 442 lb-ft of torque sounds awesome for rock crawling, the EcoDiesel engine carried a steep surcharge. What’s more, diesel engines generally make sense for drivers who do a lot of highway mileage and the Wrangler never struck me as a highway vehicle. Don’t get me wrong, refinement has come a long way since the YJ Wrangler Renegade my best friend and I once fixed up, but the steering in the current Wrangler still feels a bit like a suggestion box. Add in susceptibility to windshield chips and crosswinds, and it’s a bit difficult to justify a Wrangler as a highway commuter.
However, Wranglers make excellent urban commuters. They skip right over frost heaves and potholes, offer a great vantage point for seeing around double-parked box trucks, and even the four-door model is several inches shorter than a Honda Accord. This is where the Wrangler 4xe really comes into its prime. While 21 miles of all-electric range from this plug-in hybrid off-roader isn’t a ton, it’s more than enough for many peoples’ daily errands. Add in a whopping 470 lb.-ft. of torque and a tax credit due to being made in America, and suddenly the 4xe looks a lot more attractive than the EcoDiesel.
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon FarOut is available to order from now through November, with deliveries starting late this year. For those who miss out on the FarOut but still want a diesel Jeep with a solid front axle, don’t panic. The Gladiator pickup truck will still be available with the EcoDiesel engine.
Lead photo credit: Jeep
Happy I ordered mine when I could (first batch of ’21s). I’ve had Wranglers as daily drivers for most of the past two decades. This one is by far the easiest to live with. I had the gen2 in a Grand Cherokee and knew it would fit the Wrangler perfectly. Heavy, but worth it. Diesel is still 260 lbs lighter than the 4xe (200 lbs lighter than the 392), with similar torque figures.
I have 37″ tires on beadlock wheels, drive in the mountains, and still get 24+ mpg (28.5 on a 500-mile trip to Denver this summer!!) that a build-up 4xe can’t touch. I tow boats, campers, and other smallish trailers. I do overland trips whenever possible. Road trips usually involve the road less traveled for big chunks. And that sweet, sweet diesel clatter with the doors and top off are hard to beat.
That being said I appreciate Jeep giving notice of stopping production of the diesel Wranglers before they stop production.
Smart one day said they were going to stop selling Smart cars in the US and YOU COULD NOT place a new order, as soon as they made the announcement they stopped all new orders. I would have bought an electric Smart Car if they gave us some warning before stopping new orders for the US market but instead they didn’t and I am Smart Car-less.
Also in general I dislike extra fluids in a car.
Now for a truck that hauls and tows heavy loads, the diesel makes some sense, otherwise, it really doesn’t.
Now a plug in hybrid such as the 4xe that Thomas talks about is a much better prospect in this day and age. Whenever I get rid of my Flex, I will be looking for a plug in, I commute a little over 8 miles round trip every day, so even a small electric range will be helpful, especially given the fact that I live on a mountain, go down into a valley and then climb out of the valley going up to the edge of another mountain, all on stop and go surface streets. My mileage sucks!
The VM Motori R 428 from the Liberty was the engine Wrangler buyers wanted. 160 hp? Meh…but enough. 295 lbs-ft right down low? Yes, please. Simple, light, cheap. Granted that engine wasn’t going to meet current emissions standards but its successor did and you can still buy on in a Chevy. That engine WAS available in other markets up until 2018, with 197 hp and 339 lbs-ft. PERFECT levels for a Wrangler. That engine was getting 25-30 mpg in a Wrangler and didn’t have nearly the compromises as the 3.0.
Jeep knew it was the wrong engine, but they figured they had it and they knew it was only going to be a few years anyway so why not.
Honestly, the PHEV is the objectively better choice to a diesel anyway as you get a useful amount of zero-emissions travel, you get all the power and torque you could want and the efficiency, while not as good as a small diesel, is pretty good. The trouble is that the PHEV is proving to be complicated and trouble-prone.
They waited way too long to give it diesel power. It should’ve started in the 70s if not earlier. I’m surprised they didn’t offer it on the YJ because AMC was owned by Renault at the time.
The Cummins 2.8 would’ve also been a good engine to use on the JL. Cummins actually sells it as a crate engine, and people have installed them in JK/JL Wranglers.
However, the VM R428 would be good too.
Now I have neither.
