Jeep Wrangler Sahara (2020) Review: The more things change, the more they stay the same

Barring the latest Mercedes-Benz G-Class, it’s hard to think of any new car that copies its predecessor as faithfully. Even that icon of unchangeability, the Land Rover Defender, now sports an all-new look and a drastically altered architecture. The new Jeep Wrangler (codenamed JL) stubbornly sticks to its original layout and appearance, however. In fact, it’s one of very few body-on-frame SUVs that still employs a solid front axle. So what is really new for the Wrangler? The short answer is everything – and those improvements are significant as well.

Related: Reviewing the old Jeep Wrangler, we found that its strongest suit was the torquey diesel engine.

 

Styling

In SWB Sahara trim as tested, the new Wrangler looks exactly like what your imagination conjures up when you hear the name “Jeep”. In spite of an expanding model range and decades of success in the premium- and compact SUV markets, the brand is still most closely associated with the archetypical CJ- and Wrangler series. 

These vehicles were designed to do a specific job, and that’s why they also look so much alike – its configuration is optimal for the needs of a typical Wrangler buyer, so it should ideally not be altered too much. The details give the game away, though. 

Although the headlights are still round (as they should be, on a Wrangler!), their housings are now filled with LED illumination units. Finally. (The old Wrangler came in for consistent criticism of its headlights, leading to a proliferation of improved, replacements in the aftermarket accessory industry). The front fender-mounted indicators are new, and also house LED units for parking lights and turn signals, and update the Wrangler’s frontal view without being too radical. 

There is one bugbear, though: that front bumper cover protrudes about 30 cm too far to be aesthetically pleasing, and gives the new Wrangler the unfortunate appearance of having spent too much time at a cosmetic surgeon for collagen lip injections. We’re sure that this is massive, jutting jaw exists due to crash safety requirements, but we’re equally sure that many Wrangler buyers will have it replaced with a sexier (smaller) aftermarket bumper.

The theme of gradual development applies to the rear end as well, where the spare wheel is still mounted on the lower section of the two-part tailgate and the overhang is kept short. The only really obvious clues that this is a new Wrangler are the LED taillights, which are, like those of the little Renegade soft-roader, styled to resemble a jerrycan. Overall, it’s a gentle evolution of established Wrangler styling themes, with some smoother edges and modern detailing. 

It must be noted that, while the body is all-new, it retains the classic Jeep/Wrangler characteristics of detachable doors, removable roof (a bolted-down fibreglass hardtop on our test car), and fold-flat windscreen. In all likelihood, a wide selection of functional- and cosmetic add-ons can again be expected on the aftermarket as well, seeing as it will appeal to the same demographic as always.

Related: Owning a Jeep gives you access to all manner of cool Jeep activities. Camp Jeep is one of them – check out the fun here!

 

Engine and drivetrain

There are no diesel engines in the South African Wrangler range (yet), so the sole powertrain for our market is the well-regarded 3.6-litre “Pentastar” V6. Overseas JL Wranglers can also be specified with a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder or the Grand Cherokee’s 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6, but it is understood that local pricing for these derivatives would have been prohibitive. 

We’ll see what the future holds for the Wrangler, engine-wise, and really hope that the excellent diesel could become available at a later stage. For the time being, the Pentastar does a fine job, helped along by another appearance of the customarily brilliant ZF 8HP automatic gearbox. This is one of the most significant drivetrain developments, and finally banishes the dull-witted, obstinate, and slow-shifting old 5-speed automatic to the pages of history. 

It’s mated to a full-time/part-time four-wheel drive system, which allows a selection of RWD, full-time all-wheel drive, and the usual 4H and 4L selections for the transfer case (the latter two implying a 50/50 front/rear torque split). This range of functionality is rare in passenger vehicles, and is currently only matched by Mitsubishi’s Super Select II 4WD system.

Related: We reviewed the previous-generation Jeep Wrangler after it received the 3.6-litre Pentastar. It still wasn’t a match made in heaven, even with a manual gearbox.

 

Performance

We’re not sure that it’s a good idea for a short-wheelbase Jeep to be capable of high speeds, but the smallest Wrangler over-delivers on this measure nonetheless. 209 kW and 347 Nm, combined with well-chosen gear ratios and sharply-responsive throttle mapping, makes for a snappy pull-away and plenty of pulling power through the gears. 

Jeep doesn’t claim a 0 – 100 km/h sprint time for the Wrangler Sahara, but we expect it to happen in around 9 seconds. The claimed top speed is 177 km/h, which is entirely plausible, given the way it stormed through the gears on the way to highly illegal speeds. However, the Wrangler shorty’s handling characteristics don’t really feel suited for speeds above 130 km/h, even though there’s still plenty of pulling power left at this point.

 

The Drive

Anyone who’s familiar with the older Wranglers will know exactly what to expect from the latest one. Think of it as a modern re-master of a classic album: all the well-known components and characteristics are still present, but the harsh edges have been smoothed off and the whole experience polished somewhat.

The first thing to know is that the Wrangler doesn’t really like fast cornering. It feels rather less top-heavy than its predecessor, but sharp direction changes still militate against the laws of physics. With that said, directional stability has now improved from very poor to marginal, partly courtesy of a new electric power assisted steering system (instead of the old model’s hydraulic setup).

Ride comfort takes a major step forward, in spite of the new Wrangler still riding on two beam axles and a separate chassis frame. The suspension calibration is nicely-tuned to give as smooth a ride as is likely possible with such a short wheelbase, and body control over large surface imperfections is much better than before. 

There’s one thing that didn’t improve much with the change-over to the new generation Wrangler, however, and that's wind noise. As before, the multi-piece fibreglass roof has gaps between its constituent parts and is completely un-insulated, and those large mirrors and upright windscreen add extra layers to the racket inside the cabin. Consequently, there’s a constant hissing around the cabin that becomes audible at 80 km/h and turns unbearable around the 150 km/h mark. Think of the wind noise as an effective anti-speeding device, maybe?

It still ticks all the right boxes when the tarmac ends: even though Sahara trim loses out on the locking differentials and de-coupling anti-roll bars you’d find in the pricier Rubicon, the traction management system is clever enough to get the power to the ground, whichever surface conditions you throw at it. 

Off-road prowess is further enhanced by a 37.4-degree approach angle, 26.2-degree break-over angle, 30.5-degree departure angle, and 760 mm allowable wading depth. Slap a set of mud- or all-terrain tyres on those handsome diamond-face alloy wheels, and the otherwise-unmodified Wrangler Sahara will run the big boys perilously close when the going gets tough.

Related: The top 10 differences between the old Jeep Wrangler and the latest one.

 

Space and Comfort

In SWB format, the Wrangler does suffer from compromised practicality. Cabin space is surprisingly generous all round, and will seat four average-sized adults with ease. The issue comes with the luggage area, which is laughable with the rear seats in use. In mitigation, the rear seats fold-and-tumble out of the way very easily, which effectively triples the load volume at hand: it goes up from 203 litres to 598 litres with the simple pull of some woven straps.

Getting to the boot is still a bit of a bother, but this arrangement is the only way to reconcile the conflicting requirements having of a tailgate, having somewhere to fit the spare wheel (there isn’t room inside the boot), and wanting a removable hardtop. The lower section of the tailgate is side-hinged, while the upper (glass) section hinges from the roof. 

Standard features receive a welcome boost for the new Wrangler, with the latest Uconnect 4 7.0-inch touchscreen fronting an infotainment system with plenty of power and all the latest functionality. This is another major upgrade from the old Wrangler, which was cursed with a really, really old touchscreen interface that didn’t even feature bluetooth connectivity. 

The new infotainment system not only controls the car-related functions, but also includes full smartphone mirroring, standard navigation, and a rear-view camera. Other standard features include dual-zone climate control, cruise control, and auto-on headlights and wipers. That’s a pretty modern gadget list, and demonstrates the Wrangler’s upmarket aspirations.

Related: Which Jeep Wrangler trim holds its value the best?

 

Safety

At first glance, the Jeep Wrangler has most of the safety credentials which should ensure good safety rating: ABS and stability control are standard, and it has four airbags... but that’s about it, unfortunately. According to Euro-NCAP testing, the Wrangler only scored one star for overall safety. 

Of particular concern are the adult occupant crash safety rating of 50%, as well as the 32% it scored for safety assistance systems. Forget about ISOFIX child seat anchors, automatic emergency braking, an active bonnet, lane-keeping assistance or blind-spot monitoring – none of these items are available for the Wrangler, not even as optional extras. 

Fuel Consumption 

One of the main issues with the old Wrangler was its prodigious fuel thirst. Variants equipped with the 3.6-litre Pentastar struggled to better 14 ℓ/100 km, and even the old 2.8 CRD barely managed to average lower than 10 ℓ/100 km. We’re happy to report that the new Wrangler addresses this problem very effectively, mainly thanks to its new 8-speed automatic gearbox. 

It’s simple: the wider ratio spread allows the engine to operate at (or near) its peak efficiency for more of the time, without compromising on performance or cruising ability. In fact, open-road cruising at the national speed limit sees the rev counter sitting just north of the 2 000 r/min mark, and returns low-9 ℓ/100 km figures as a result. 

Jeep claims an average consumption of 9.6 ℓ/100 km, but that proved to be impossible to achieve in mixed-cycle driving. Instead, our test average of 10.8 ℓ/100 km is indicative of a tall and very blocky shape, combined with a considerable kerb weight of 1 900 kg, but represents a massive improvement on the old Wrangler (with this engine) nonetheless. 

Related: Five extras you should fit to a new Jeep Wrangler.

 

Price

It’s time for a collective gasp from the off-road community now, because even the least-expensive Wrangler (the SWB Sahara, as tested) has a list price of R 868 607 before options. Included in the price is a warranty for 3 years or 100 000 km, along with a maintenance plan for the same duration/mileage. In its most expensive form (Unlimited Rubicon), Wrangler prices run up to R 919 719. That’s a serious chunk of cash for a vehicle with such a narrow focus, and will likely cost it some sales among 4x4 die-hards.

But here the thing: Jeep could essentially price this Wrangler wherever they wish, because it’s the only thing of its kind left in this market segment. Don’t even mention the new Land Rover Defender here: yes, it will be very capable off-road, but its new aluminium platform means that aftermarket customisation options will be limited (at least initially) – and it costs even more. 

An even larger price premium applies to the conceptually similar Mercedes-Benz G-Class, which leaves the hard-core, mid-level off-road SUV market wide open for the Wrangler. Yes, the new Wrangler is expensive, but it’s also the only new vehicle in its price- and ability class.

 

The Verdict

The latest Jeep Wrangler sticks to the formula laid down by its predecessors, but addresses some of the issues we had with the older ones. It now has up-to-date infotainment, rides quite a lot smoother than before, guzzles less fuel, and is much nicer to drive, but none of these improvements have come at the expense of its legendary off-road abilities. Families would be better off with a 4-door Unlimited on account of the 2-door’s compromised practicality, but for heavy off-road use, the shorty is still the real deal. It’s just like before, then, only better on-road.

 

Pricing was accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice. 

Included in the list price is a warranty and maintenance plan, both valid for 3 years or 100 000 km.

 

Expert rating:

3/5 for daily driving duties, 5/5 off the beaten path.

 

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