Jeep Wrangler review, test drive

Time to get back into the driver’s seat and see how well the Wrangler climbs. Four-wheel Low selected, locks on, we set off. But what’s this? We’ve gone straight past the easier climb. Wrangler Number One now begins to ascend the same path I’d scrambled up on my hands and knees. A soft ‘ohhh shhh-’ escapes my lips. “Keep her in first, give her some gas every time you find traction and she’ll take you up as easy as an elevator,” come the instructions from the spotter. The first eye-opener is just how easily the Wrangler ‘flies’ over even huge boulders; the clearance on those massive tyres and the wide track are just fantastic. Then there’s the torque that allows you to almost bunny hop the Wrangler from rock to larger rock. Find a bit of grip, squeeze the throttle and the Jeep moves ahead with a nonchalance that is simply thrilling. In places where the path eases, I shift to second, just to see the effect it will have, but the Wrangler still motors on with a bit more of a wiggle from the rear as it clambers up. Later we descend and wade through a shallow stream, traverse a soft river bed and scramble up a steep bank, but just like earlier, the car hardly feels extended or pushed to its limits. This really is another level; for once, an all-American icon that more than lives up to the hype.

Of course the ride isn’t cosseting on tarmac. It felt a bit jiggly on the short road section we drove and the Wrangler really isn’t practical. The comfort level is, however, several times higher than in our home-grown Thar; not truly a competitor, but our only real reference point. Build quality is around a hundred times better and the Wrangler will come to India with a 197bhp automatic gearbox-equipped diesel variant too. Jeep will initially import the Wrangler, so prices are expected to be in the region of Rs 18-20 lakh, which is quite a lot for a not-too-practical car. Still, I challenge you to drive one off-road and come back not wanting to own it. What you get for your money is the ultimate off-roader (yes, it really is that good), a thoroughly updated and modern icon with anti-lock brakes, airbags and tonnes and tonnes of attitude.