When the 2020 Jeep Wrangler arrives, it will include a new plug-in hybrid package that should offer all-electric driving.
The big news at the LA Auto Show is the long-awaited arrival of the all-new 2018 Jeep Wrangler. We knew in advance what the new TL looked like thanks to spy shots and a couple preview images, but with the start of this week’s auto show in Los Angeles, we learned everything that there is to know about the next generation SUV.
The most surprising information on the 2018 Jeep Wrangler relates to the drivetrain, as this new model will be offered with a turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder engine mated to the eTorque mild hybrid system. That new drivetrain will join the 3.6L Pentastar V6 for the 2018 model year and come 2019, the 3.0L EcoDiesel will enter the lineup as well.
However, we learned in LA that there will be a fourth drivetrain option coming for 2020 – a plug-in hybrid system – meaning that the new Wrangler will soon have all-electric driving capabilities.
A Plug-In Hybrid Wrangler
Right now, there are no details on the Jeep Wrangler Plug-In Hybrid other than the fact that one will arrive for 2020. We do not know anything about the engine that will be used with the electric-drive system, but we do know that the only other plug-in hybrid in the FCA lineup right now is the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. That vehicle officially offers 33 miles of all-electric driving, but in testing the plug-in minivan, I personally drove more than 40 miles before the range reached 0. At that point, the 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine kicked in to power the vehicle and to begin recharging the battery.
That all-electric range is what would differentiate the 2018 Wrangler mild hybrid and the 2020 Wrangler plug-in hybrid. Where the system included with the turbocharger 2.0L engine only provides assistance to the engine at periods where torque demands are the highest, the plug-in system should allow Wrangler owners to drive purely on electric power.
Should the 2020 Jeep plug-in hybrid share the drivetrain from the Pacifica Hybrid, it will not only offer all-electric driving, but it will also pack solid power from the tried-and-true Pentastar engine. All-electric range, improved fuel economy, low-end electric torque and Pentastar power should come together to make the 2020 Wrangler plug-in hybrid a great option for those who want to avoid trips to the gas station.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
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