Big changes are in store for the next-generation Jeep Wrangler: a fresh design, new technology, and more power.
Right now, the 2016 Wrangler’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 generates 285 horsepower. According to a source who spoke to Automotive News, the post-JK Wrangler will likely be available with a four-cylinder engine that will make close to 300.
The direct-injected 2.0-liter I4, code-named “Hurricane,” will supposedly feature an aluminum block, variable valve timing, and a twin-scroll turbocharger. It looks as if it will be made at a facility near Detroit because Automotive News says, “FCA announced in late April that it would invest $75 million in its Trenton Engine Complex south of Detroit to produce a new four-cylinder engine on a flexible line at the plant.”
In combination with an eight-speed automatic and an exterior with more aluminum parts, the four-banger should boost the Wrangler’s fuel economy considerably, making the off-roader capable of covering more pavement when it’s not conquering nature.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
