EcoDiesel Wrangler, the New King of Fuel-efficient Wranglers
First-ever U.S.-market diesel Jeep Wrangler pulls 29 mpg on the highway per official EPA figures, 25 mpg combined.
The Wrangler is a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it’s a fun rig to take to the beach. For others, it’s a fun rig to take to the neon-soaked streets and nightclubs. There are those who take the Jeep into the great outdoors as-is, those who set it up for an overlanding expedition, and those who go all-out into making it the ultimate rock crawler.
What it hasn’t been for everyone, for the longest time, was fuel efficient. If owners were generally seeking such things, they’d have to opt for a hybrid. All that has changed, though. According to Jalopnik, the 2020 EcoDiesel version of the Wrangler has an official EPA highway rating of 29 mpg.
The first-ever U.S.-market diesel Wrangler unseats the previous fuel-efficiency crown-bearer, the 2.0-liter turbo-four mild hybrid Wrangler. While the turbo-four offered owners official EPA ratings of 25 mpg highway, 23 mpg city, and 24 mpg combined, the EcoDiesel’s 22 mpg in the city combines with the 29 mpg highway figure for an average of 25 mpg combined.
Of course, the gains in mileage are just the start for Wranglers with the EcoDiesel. The 3.0-liter V6 also gives the Jeep the most torque it’s ever had, with 442 lb-ft to climb over every obstacle, and to pull others out of trouble when needed.
It’s also a hefty upgrade on the order form, coming in at $4,000; neither the standard V6 or the turbo-four have any price tag attached. The diesel comes attached to an eight-speed automatic, which is an additional $2,000 to the total build, and is the only optional available for the EcoDiesel. It’s a lot to consider, at least.
The Wrangler EcoDiesel’s figures are a long way from just a couple of years ago, where the best anyone could get was 18 mpg combined from the JK-era Jeep’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. The JL-era of America’s favorite Jeep has certainly done a lot to forge an ever-brighter for the icon’s legacy when it comes to the pump. Now if only going diesel didn’t cost an arm and a leg upfront.
Photos: Jeep
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