Jeep Wrangler Unlimited review, test drive

What is annoying is the five-speed automatic gearbox. It’s always hunting through gears, sometimes refusing to downshift or upshift and rarely second-guessing what you actually expect it to do. The long throttle travel also means the dull initial throttle response transforms into a sudden surge of torque when you further depress the pedal, and it’s accompanied by quite a lot of engine noise.

Then there’s the ride, which is quite lumpy at low speeds, shudders over expansion joints and doesn’t quite settle down even at speed (typical live-axle characteristics) and the handling, which thanks to the vague steering and soft suspension, isn’t the most fun. A refined, fun-to-hustle vehicle this is not, and those looking for such should walk away.

What it is, then, is a clearly off-road-biased vehicle that’s much more refined than before. It can’t hold a candle to the dynamics of a modern soft-roader, but by hardcore off-roader standards, it is quite refined and handles and rides very well.

It’s when you switch the smaller gear lever into 4L mode that it all comes together. That sluggish initial throttle response that’s annoying on the road gives you incredible throttle control over tricky terrain, and the slow steering and soft suspension allow you lots of control and good amounts of wheel articulation. On its off-road tyres (Goodyear Wranglers, of course) it felt unstoppable, getting through most climbs and slush with little effort or wheelspin. It is off-road that the Wrangler really feels special.

Unfortunately for the Wrangler is priced at a steep Rs 71.59 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) This puts it in a bracket where the other cars are very different from it. It is, after all, a hardcore off-roader and most in India would shy away from shelling out so much for something that is not a luxury sedan. But it is one of the best off-roaders around and definitely worth a look.

Also read: Jeep India launch report and pricing details