Wrangler. A cowboy who brings ornery cattle, running wild on the middle American prairie, under control, writes Brian Byrne. A guy who is tough, individual, not much inclined towards city life.
A great name for an American equivalent of the Land Rover Defender. Except that the original Jeep of which the modern Wrangler is the iconic descendent was actually the forerunner of the Defender. When a farmer's post-WW2 Jeep finally died he invented the Land Rover, which became a foundation machine for the other side of his business life, a car company.The Wrangler on sale in Ireland today is part of a three-pronged push on European markets by Jeep under its new ownership of Fiat. Compass and Grand Cherokee are the other tines of that particular fork.
Look, it will be a limited element of the total Jeep game. Especially in Ireland, where that game is limited enough. But now it does have an advantage over its previous place in the European and Irish context. A new diesel engine, courtesy of the Fiat part-owned MV Motori engine company.
As a 4-door 5-seat vehicle, it is practical. The WW2 Jeep's styling cues are still there. The ability to take off the roof and other protective bits and make it a totally open air car is there too. And a tough interior finish won't wilt under rough duty.
But in the Sahara review version the Wrangler also turned out to be a surprisingly comfortable car. There was leather. Sports hugging seats. Space to flail around in if that was your need, bcause it is a big car. Noise levels which proved to be much less than a prestige marque sporty 2-seat which I drove the following week. And the super high riding position which is an intrinsic element in any real SUV.
Wrangler isn't pretend all-terrain transport. Like its Land Rover Defender equivalent, it is go-everywhere. And come back from wherever that is. While towing stuff if that is what's needed.
As driven, the Wrangler review car was actually a much more civilised experience than the Defender competition, despite LR's improvements in this regard a few years ago. And though on this particular experience with the Wrangler I didn't have opportunity to go seriously off-road, I do know from other occasions that it excels in such places.
The mechanics are traditional, with electronic help. A separate shifter picks AWD high, AWD low gears when required. Otherwise you have 2WD. The engine is a 2.8 with 200hp and 410Nm of pulling power. A 6-speed manual is standard. Plus the low ratios.
Don't expect fuel consumption to match your supermini other car. But the equivalent of 29mpg for this seriously capable vehicle is riding along on the relatively economical part of the scale for what you have bought. And presumably you have acquired it for its capability rather than for its image.
But even if you have gone the image route, the cowboy wrangler theme may not be what will sell this particular car in Ireland in numbers. Leaving aside its absolute ability in places where tough is a given requirement, it is something also more than a bit different.
We in Ireland have a special affinity with those transatlantic parishes off our western seaboard. We have provided that land with ordinary people and presidents. Our music is mirrored even in the middle of its vastnesses. And our emigrants who have helped build America as the nation that it is have their descendants running most of the key industries and corporations which make it work even in these straitened days.
So there will be a soft spot for the Jeep Wrangler in its latest incarnation as a Fiat owned brand and model.
Even softer, maybe. After all, what country's people provide us with our much-loved one and ones?
Wrangler prices start in the mid-€30,000s.
