The Next Wrangler to Gain Hybrid and Diesel Powertrains

2014 Jeep Wrangler (Credit: © Jeep)

In recent years, there have been countless rumors about the next-gen Wrangler, and two of those rumors have included alternative powertrains. Today, FCA has officially announced that the next-gen Wrangler will indeed include these new power units, including a hybrid and diesel.

According to the product plan that FCA released, it plans to have the next-gen Wrangler in showrooms by 2017, but the alternative powertrains will not be immediately available. Instead, Jeep will hold back the diesel until sometime before 2022, while the hybrid model will come a little later.

FCA kept the official details about the new powertrains under wraps, but the diesel will almost certainly be the 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 found in the Ram EcoDiesel. This unit can inject a healthy 240 horsepower and a stump-ripping 420 pound-feet of torque. This would tick most of the boxes for off-road enthusiasts, but the fact that it’ll only come with the four-door body will limit its of-the-beaten-path abilities.

The hybrid version of the Wrangler is even more of a secret, as there are no other vehicles that we can look to for a donor powertrain. What FCA did announce is that this will be a “mild hybrid.” This means that this model will likely see just a small uptick in fuel economy and have no electric range. Jeep will share this new hybrid setup with the Ram 1500.

Given the Wrangler diesel is slated to debut sometime between 2018 and 2022, we should start seeing test mules in the coming years. As for the hybrid Wrangler, don’t look for it to start testing until after diesel has been put through its paces.

These new engines and FCA’s recent confirmation of the pickup version of the Wrangler are evidence that the automaker is looking to use the model’s popularity to drive up profits.

We’ll bring you more details as they become available.