Live Axles to Remain in Next Jeep Wrangler
Fiat/Chrysler engineers are hard at work on the next-generation Jeep Wrangler, the alpha off-roader from this rough-and-tumble brand.
Rumors are swirling that it could feature a lightweight aluminum body, among other enhancements. It’s unclear how die-hard enthusiasts would react to this change but one thing they’re sure to love is the new model’s chassis. It’s reported the SUV will retain its solid axles, an archaic feature but one that’s beneficial out on the trail.
SEE ALSO: Jeep Mulls Aluminum and Turbos for Next-Gen Wrangler
The upcoming Jeep Wrangler will likely go on sale in 2017, sporting an improved ride, better fuel economy and probably a more comfortable interior. Solid axles allow the body to be lifted with relative ease, something that can improve the vehicle’s ground clearance and thus make it even more of an off-road beast.
In addition to these changes the new Wrangler will likely feature a lineup of smaller, turbocharged engines, a range that should improve both performance and fuel economy. Today’s version of this SUV features a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that puts out 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque.
GALLERY: 2014 Jeep Wrangler Sport S
[Source: Automotive News]
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Born and raised in metro Detroit, Craig was steeped in mechanics from childhood. He feels as much at home with a wrench or welding gun in his hand as he does behind the wheel or in front of a camera. Putting his Bachelor's Degree in Journalism to good use, he's always pumping out videos, reviews, and features for AutoGuide.com. When the workday is over, he can be found out driving his fully restored 1936 Ford V8 sedan. Craig has covered the automotive industry full time for more than 10 years and is a member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
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Diesel costs 4500 more on the grand cherokee. This is close to the surcharge MB and BMW get for thier diesels now world wide on thier larger cars. The reason is the engin costs a lot more to build and yes the emmisions controls are not cheap but they are not cheap for gas cars either. A good part of the cost is the engine itself , bearings tighetr machine tolerances not only to deal with the peak transitional pressures inherent in diesel ignition but the more expnsive vibration controls, the much more expensive high pressure fuel system and ultra high pressure timed injection system , . While us demand is not high it is not low either. Witness the demand of diesels for pick up trucks. They also cost a lot on the oredr of 6 K and do not have the emmision controls of smaller diesels. Now do not just blame Ca the whole US hold diesels to the SAME standards as IC ebgines. The isue is the CI engine puts out a lot more NOx which is very hard to clean out of exhaust. The main cause of this is the vry hig compression ratios. The EU only NOW recognize this componenet of smaog. In the past they only cared about unbruned HC and CO.
lightweight aluminum body will not be a good idea. They can't even handle painting the aluminum door hinges on the 2013 Wrangler properly. I've got paint bubbles all along the edges of all my hinges. My vehicle goes off road. Sure Chrysler is going to fix it but still.. it's a problem. If they used marine primer.. same used on aluminum boat hulls, this would not have happened. The engineers at Chrysler must have flunked high school chemistry. aluminum hinge on galvanized steel door = galvanic reaction. congratulation they made a battery and the electrons are being drawn from the aluminum hinge resulting in the aluminum breaking down and corroding.