Jeep Wrangler Rubicon gets high praise

“The Jeep brand is continuously achieving milestones both in South Africa and internationally in its current two-door and four-door convertible 4x4 formats.

“Jeep Wrangler is now South Africa's best selling Jeep model in the range, achieving a sales success that even our most positive forecasts have not predicted,” said Guy Franken group brand executive in South Africa for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge.

No small feat

In recognizing the Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon as the Best 4x4 of the Decade, Four Wheeler magazine editor Doug McColloch said, “The latest Wrangler represents a big step up in on-road ride and handling, yet its off-road capability wasn't compromised in the least. If anything, it was only enhanced.

“Considering how competent in the dirt the previous generation TJ was, that was no small feat for Chrysler engineers to pull off. But somehow they managed to do it, creating the decade's best four-wheel drive in the process.”

In calling the 2007-present Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon the Most Significant SUV of the Decade, editor Sean Holman said: “The decision to produce a four-door Wrangler will probably go down in history as one of the smartest product moves any automotive company has ever made.

“From a Jeep customer perspective, the four-door was pure genius, opening up the sport of ‘Jeeping' to families. No longer would you have to choose your kids or your gear. It also made the Jeep brand accessible to people who have always loved the idea of a Wrangler, but never thought the vehicles were large enough or functional enough to fit their lifestyle and/or needs.”

Room for five

The full reports from the Four Wheeler editors can be viewed at www.fourwheeler.com.

The four-door Wrangler Unlimited model accounts for 59% of Wrangler sales and is the only four-door open-air SUV on the market with room for five adult passengers.

Standard on both models is the innovative Sunrider soft top, which includes a sun roof in addition to the full top-down option. Wrangler's available Freedom Top, a three-piece modular hard top, features three panels - left and right front-passenger panels and a rear panel - providing more options for open-air driving. Either top may be completely removed for a complete open-air experience.