The Jeep Wrangler Will Get a Plug-In Hybrid Variant

Today, after what felt like an endless stream of leaks, Jeep finally revealed the redesigned 2018 Wrangler. For a more detailed look at that, check out our First Look. But during his presentation, Mike Manley, head of Jeep, mentioned something we hadn’t officially heard before. In 2020, Jeep plans to offer a plug-in hybrid version of the Wrangler.

Sadly, no one at Jeep was able to give us any more information on the upcoming hybrid Wrangler. One person that we did talk to said it’s too early to guess what kind of fuel economy it will get, and he isn’t even sure whether it will arrive for the 2020 model year or the 2020 calendar year.

For comparison, though, Fiat Chrysler’s other plug-in hybrid, the Chrysler Pacifica, has a 16-kW-hr battery and is rated at the equivalent of 84 mpg combined. Packaging the battery will probably be more difficult in the Wrangler, so Jeep might have to develop its own system, but considering how much is shared between FCA products, don’t be surprised if both PHEVs have a lot in common.

We also learned that if you equip your Wrangler with the optional 3.0-liter diesel V-6, you can expect to get 30 mpg on the highway. Considering that the current Wrangler is only rated at 21 mpg highway (20 mpg if you get the four-door Unlimited), that’s a huge step forward.

Non-hybrid 2018 Jeep Wrangler pictured.

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