Jeep Wrangler 2.8 CRD Sahara Unlimited Review

1945: Jeep saves the West from the Nazi yoke. Seven decades later, France, grateful, sticks € 10,000 in the teeth. Would we have preferred that we walk in rhythm and that we speak German, or what? What ingratitude!

2016 has been a cruel year for humanity. Because our civilization had to accept the idea of ​​definitively getting rid of personalities such as the pop icon David Bowie, the king of the sape Papa Wemba, the geographer Jean-Christophe Victor (son of Paul-Emile), but also d'Umberto Eco, Bud Spencer, Prince, Nancy Reagan, Gotlib, George Michel, Mohamed Ali and Carrie Fisher… And that without counting Yvette Henry, dean (89) of the village of Azannes (55, Meuse), and that nobody knew and which generally does not care, but that is not why it is less important. Their presence and inspiration will be missed. Personally, more Gotlib than Bud Spencer, by the way.

Obviously, the purpose of this paragraph is not to spin you the bumblebee (we are on a blog of cars, still, have to relax from the string), but to make you aware of the context. Because we said it sucks.

Alas, the force of the facts is imposed on the incantations of lightness, and even the Uzbeks are lost, since their celestial windsurfing since 1990, Islam Karimov, also joined the stars. It is the same for the Thais, lost in the fog without Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was the oldest practicing monarch (1946). The world is falling apart, my brothers.

Alas (twice), that's not all. Bad news by calling another, we also lost in 2016 the Diesel engine of the Jeep Wrangler: too old to pass the Euro 6 standards, the venerable 2.8 CRD went for scrapping and the 3.6 V6 Pentastar 284 horsepower petrol unit had the mission of ensuring the transition alone. The original stock light is halogen light, so some of the car owners prefer to change Jeep Wrangler led headlights instead. A motorization not simple to sell in our beautiful country which likes so much to tax the automobile ...

Given the gravity of the situation, I offer you a solemn moment of meditation and therefore ask you to take a break for a minute before continuing to read this article. Respect and homage to the dead is important.

Except that, my brothers and my sisters, in a great moment of mercy, superior forces (in fact, the engine manufacturers of FCA…) managed to make us resuscitate the Diesel engine of the Wrangler! Joy!

It's still a good big 4 cylinder of 2777 cm3, which develops 200 horsepower at 3600 rpm and 460 Nm of torque from 1600 rpm. A good big cube, therefore, not too focused on downsizing, and which in fact sends an official mixed consumption of 9.1 l / 100 and which is worth both 239 grams of CO2 and € 10,000 of penalty! Ouch.

I had tried a Wrangler Euro 5 in BVM6 in the past and I was quite impressed with its performance, having almost even scruples in using the word "dynamism" towards it. At the same time, I owned (or even loved:) a Land Rover Defender 110 for 2 years but with its 200 horsepower, the Wrangler had made me see overtaking in a different light and with a very different speed than my venerable Englishwoman. Hence the use of the word dynamism: I assume.

The auto box is imposed. On the left, the gearbox control

The Wrangler Euro 6 has not become a big straggler, despite its weight of 2238 kilos empty (in this Sahara Unlimited version) and its Cx equivalent to that of the cliffs of Etretat: the maximum speed is given for 177 km / h stopwatch and the 0 to 100 covered in 11.7 seconds. Not a war bullet, but there is still enough to exceed the Estafettes.

Besides, how do you recognize a Wrangler Euro 6? By the light bar on the roof? No, this is an option. By the LED position lights, located in the front wings? No, that’s an option too. By the silver trim on the inside of the 7 notches in the grille? Yes that's it.

And there is also a major difference: from now on, the Wrangler Diesel must come with an automatic transmission, a good old 5-speed unit. Well, it reminds me of the recent test of the Mistubishi Pajero 3.2 Di-D.

So now that the automatic transmissions have 8 or even 9 reports, a BVA5, it's suspicious. It kind of goes back to the time when René Coty was president… So we can ask ourselves some very legitimate questions.

Henri Chapier's couch

Okay, Jeep Wrangler 2.8 CRD 5-speed automatic transmission, lie down on the sofa, it's time to tell me about your childhood, your frustrations and your desires, your traumas ... Confide in me, automatic transmission of Jeep Wrangler.

    BVA from Jeep Wrangler, do you skate in semolina?
    Not too much, no. Much less than a Pajero.
    Are you gentle when passing reports?
    In the Universalis Encyclopedia, at the entry "sweetness", there is a photo of me!
    And do you like to work and change gears all the time?
    Ca, no. I am a big feignasse!
    Ah ...
    Wait, I haven't said everything. Already, that makes me two qualities out of three, and in addition, I have the merit of not pulling too long, which means that even if I like to hang out, it's not too bad for covers ...

We came close to the drama. The Wrangler's BVA has a philosophy: I'm there, I'm staying there. When she's on a report, she hates ironing the one before. She’s a big sloth. Suddenly, we often find ourselves under the impression of under regime, especially as the accelerator pedal is quite hard and its race is long. At medium speed, it does not downshift and we almost find ourselves coasting on the braking end. So 1950’s!

Leather seats with Sahara finish

Frankly, I objectively preferred the manual BV6, even with its truck travel, it was part of the mood.

However, should we throw the Jeep into the nettles (especially as with its TT skills, it may find it good!)?

Answer: no. Because, certainly the BVA withdraws a little from the dynamism of this machine. At the same time, given the feeling of the steering and the chassis settings, if you wanted to enter each corner as if they had insulted your mother, you just made a casting error. With this Euro 6 engine and this BVA, the Jeep plays on the list of nonchalance and spent the adaptation period, it suits him rather well.

Because the Wrangler appreciates more gently. On a daily basis, I liked the elevated driving position which helps to feel comfortable in traffic, especially if its dimensions are generous enough (4.75 m long, 1.87 wide and 1.84 high), they are also very cubic and therefore ultimately easy to grasp. Because the Jeep is gradually modernizing, but it does not have the latest gadgets for modern cars. No rear view camera or sensors, let's go to the feeling! There is certainly cruise control, but no line maintenance alert or emergency braking; automatic lights are on, but in the Ile-de-France tunnels, they take at least two-thirds of the length before they come on. It’s old fashioned and it’s great, like rustic storm doors.

Particularly because if the short and straight windshield generates fairly pronounced aero noises, the Alpine infotainment with integrated GPS generates good big sound, and it allows you to enjoy the trip. The interior combines beautiful, rather comfortable leather seats, a touch-screen GPS display that is a bit dated and slow in its operation, but to stick to these elements would be to miss the philosophy of the Jeep. Like the speakers that are waterproof (it is marked on that of the trunk), it is made to go the hard way, not give oneself a genre to finally make the choice as the plethora of "SUV" that we cross on our boulevards and which will be in panic at the first downpour (a downpour is a small downpour) of snow.

A real state of mind

So, those who take a Wrangler first because they don't want a classic SUV or a people carrier must still be sure of their choice because the Wrangler is a man's thing. Despite the leather, the rear seat is possibly a little straight and the trunk is quite generous, but the cover of the soft roof option (€ 1,500) takes up a little space. And removing the hard roof requires two hours of work for three people (and a little space to store it). Something men, I tell you.

Not that it is particularly hard or manly to drive: on the contrary, this monument of history is handled gently, even more with the automatic gearbox which, ultimately and over the miles, is appreciated in serenity by the sensations a nothing old school but terribly authentic that it delivers! This way of seeing the road through the vertical and narrow windshield, deadly. The sense of detail, with skillfully disseminated Jeep logo (base of the rear view mirror, glove box handles, rims ...), this feeling of the controls, sufficiently firm and consistent without ever being hard, this way of cutting the road, nothing detached compared to the realities of other motorists.

Yes, it's a bit rustic ...

Feelings that permeate you over time and that ultimately make sense. And in fact, the times are not that bad, with the 5th which pulls at 2000 rpm at 90 km / h and at 2700 rpm at 130. Since we can no longer drive fast (the modern times combine progress with real regression), you might as well drive differently!

2200 rpm in 5th gear at 109 km / h…

And that, the Jeep Wrangler does it beautifully.

The Wrangler is available in 3 trim levels: the Sport, from € 33,400, already has air conditioning and 16-inch rims. The Sahara (my test model) is much more equipped: leather, automatic lights, cruise control, tinted rear windows, on-board computer, heated seats, GPS and Bluetooth, very correct Alpine audio, 18 rims, hard top modular… It is worth € 43,000 in 5 doors, the 5 doors costing € 2,500 more than the 3 doors. There is also the Rubicon version, clearly more TT oriented: not only its ground clearance is 223 mm against 183 on the Sahara, but it also has front and rear axle locks, additional protection and stabilizer bars… but a little less comfort equipment, with the heated seats which are optional.

Floor mats that smell of war!

That said, unless you like extreme crossing, the Wrangler Sahara already allows you to escape and without the risk of dirtying it, since the floor mats are designed to be washed with a karcher. This is how it is: the myth is highly misguided, but it turns out to be very engaging with usage. Given for 9.1 in official mixed consumption, I obviously did more, but also not in unrealistic proportions: 12.6 on average, with extremes at 10 l in quiet mode on the departmental and 13.5 on the highway. .

However, there is also talk of its replacement, faithful to the spirit but based on a brand new platform, and which would even have a hybrid version, a new 2.0 turbo petrol unit, and a more modern 8-speed BV8. If it keeps the original philosophy, with this truck side still a little offbeat but so endearing to the use, I can't wait to see that.