2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Review

The Jeep Wrangler is an iconic brand and has a legion of committed fans for good reasons. It's a high-riding brute with a lot of character and off-road ability. So, when Jeep decided to round it off and make it more comfortable and usable to live with, as part of this 2024 update, our interest brewed big time and we took the earliest possible flight to Chandigarh to drive the new Wrangler.

As I said, Jeep has tried to modernise the Wrangler by adding more sound deadening to the cabin, Gorilla Glass windshield which is tougher than before, ADAS capability, much more user-friendly infotainment system, and features such as electric seats and a premium audio system. Time to find out whether this notably improved 2024 model stays true to the Wrangler formula and how.

With its slab-sided design and handy controls, the Wrangler’s cabin has always been utilitarian and straightforward. For the 2024 update, Jeep changed the entire top half of the dash to integrate the bigger 12.3-inch infotainment system, which is far more user-friendly than the one on the 2023 Wrangler. The UI looks properly modern, the menus are easier to navigate, and the touchscreen is noticeably quicker to respond as well. The Wrangler now comes with extra sound deadening and as a result, Jeep is claiming a 5dB reduction in noise. I would like to add that we didn’t get a chance to drive the Wrangler at highway speeds to attest to the claim although first impressions are solid. The 2024 Wrangler’s cabin feels like a nicer place to be in and you also get more tech for added convenience.

The front seats, for instance, are electrically adjustable and come with fully sealed controls to stop water ingress when off-roading. The Wrangler also gets a high-resolution camera at the front, which turned out to be of immense help during our off-road drive through narrow trails and extreme elevations. The improved feature list includes six airbags, 552W Alpine audio system, heated seats and steering wheel, and ADAS functionality with collision warning, automatic braking, and adaptive cruise control.Although the cabin is fairly roomy and if you take the roof off, the feeling of space is incredible, the actual seating comfort isn’t as impressive. The front seats are fairly supportive and alright but if you are looking to have people in the second row for your everyday drives then be prepared for some complaints. The cushioning is quite firm and the seat base is nowhere as generous as you would want it to be given the size of the cabin.

Let’s address the basics first. What you are looking at here is the hardcore Rubicon version, which gets 17-inch wheels wrapped in mud-terrain tyres and a ground clearance of 237mm. In terms of powertrain, the Wrangler gets a not-so-substantial 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine. But, because it’s turbocharged, you get 272bhp of power and 400Nm of torque.

These are strong numbers which allowed the Wrangler to put up a strong show across the all-natural trails and the off-road tracks that Jeep curated. More on that later… Now, this being the Rubicon variant, the list of off-road hardware fitted as standard is almost as long as the number of features inside the slab-sided cabin. You get heavy-duty Dana 44 solid axles with a sophisticated transfer case and locking front and rear differential, heavy-duty shocks, full-time transfer case with low-range gear, and mud-terrain tyres. Additionally, the Rubicon version allows you to electronically disconnect its sway bar for more suspension travel and better axle articulation.

Our drive of the 2024 Wrangler included testing it through narrow, challenging trails and a few curated sections featuring typical off-roading obstacles. The venue served up quite a terrain, mainly the ones with plenty of rocks, dirt, and some rather sideways-leaning and giggle-inducing inclines. It’s on terrains like these where the Wrangler comes into its own, especially when equipped with big, knobby tyres that the Rubicon gets.

It took me a handful of big ditches, boulders, and a kilometre or so of a dirt trail to realise that this Wrangler was creeping over the terrain like a giant ant. The confidence that you get from the stock ride height, knobby tyres, and all the hard-core off-road gear that the Wrangler Rubicon has, is incredible. The second half of the drive had us driving through a dry riverbed and it was astonishing how the Wrangler simply ploughed through deep ruts and huge humps.

The Jeep Wrangler is bang-on as a lifestyle vehicle that you can flaunt and get everyone’s attention. And to say that its street presence is imposing is an understatement. More importantly, it ravaged the trails without a flinch. Even though it still isn’t as comfortable as we would like as a vehicle to use every day, the Wrangler is truly effortless when it comes to off-roading. In real-world off-road explorations, the Wrangler Rubicon can venture into places where your typical 4x4s would most likely struggle. So, if you want the ultimate off-roader and you have the money, you should buy the Wrangler. No two ways about it.

Pictures by Kaustubh Gandhi