While a Wrangler diesel has been available on the European market for some time now, the US market model has only been available with a petrol engine. This was supposed to change with the 2017 Jeep Wrangler Diesel which was meant to hit the market by the end of the year.
However, back in January, Jeep released at a press conference that the new diesel Wrangler will only hit the market some time near 2024 while its highly anticipated hybrid powertrain will be offered after the same year. This is because gasoline got very cheap in the US and people started to overlook these versions of the car.
source:jeep.com
2017 Jeep Wrangler Release date and Price
However, while the model will likely not hit production until then, the all new Wrangler together with its diesel option and the other engines should still be showcased by the end of the year and likely put into low volume testing some time in the near future.
source:jeep.com
The price of the diesel is still unknown for now but considering that the petrol engined car is expected to get around $1,000 more expensive, the diesel will very likely add at least $5,000 over that price.
Unlike with many other manufacturers, the diesel will also be available on the base versions of the car, so it will still be suited for off-road use.
2017 Jeep Wrangler Diesel Design
Design wise, the new 2017 Jeep Wrangler diesel is going to be very similar to the ongoing model which is a bit unusual because some rumors suggested at first that the car would be quite a bit more different.
This proved to be wrong when a camouflaged version of the car has been spied testing a while ago and it showed a very similar design scheme. The front end will likely be heavily influenced by Jeep’s crossover versions but the back as well as the boxy design should be carried over.
source:jeep.com
The car will remain a body-on-frame design but this time around the chassis will be made mostly out of high strength steel while the body will be made out of aluminum and some parts out of steel. While the weight will not decrease due to the heavier engine, the car should be more capable in off-road and the lower weight of the body will very likely allow Jeep to install heavier axles.
Interior of Jeep Wrangler
On the interior the rather unappealing dashboard design of the current generation will be gone and replaced with something more modern and easier to use.
source:jeep.com
The seats will still be covered by easy-to-clean vinyl and most of the interior will be waterproof with the only real downsides being that the car will lose the ability to get its windshield and doors removed which will only pose a problem for those looking to use it heavily in off-road but the revised suspension system should more than make up for that.
2017 Jeep Wrangler Engine
Under the hood, the 2017 Jeep Wrangler diesel will not use the 2.8 liter turbocharged inline 4 diesel of the European model. Instead, the car will get a 3 liter twin-turbocharged V6, similar to that found in the Ram 1500.
This engine will make more than 200 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque that are all going to be routed by an 8 speed automatic gearbox to a standard four wheel drive system.
source:jeep.com
The engine is expected to get around 4 MPG on average better than the current 3.6 liter V6 petrol engine while offering a lot more towing power and much better off-road capabilities thanks to all of that torque being available from lower than 2,000 rpm.
A 6 speed manual is likely going to be offered as standard while an optional 8 speed automatic will be available as well coupled to a set of limited slip differentials.
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