Lucas Bell 
Despite the public outcry and legal action follow Volkswagen’s DieselGate scandal, it seems the torquey engines have started to make a resurgence. Automakers have been stuffing these efficient power plants into SUVs and mid-size pickups, and now Jeep is poised to jump into the segment with the long awaited 2020 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel.
According to JLWranglerForums, anybody who wants the EcoDiesel option for the 2020 Jeep Wrangler will have to pony up a total of $6,000 regardless of the starting trim level. The engine itself actually adds $4,000 to the price, but the sole transmission option is the eight-speed automatic, which tacks on an additional $2,000. While $6,000 is a decent chunk of change, it’s not so bad when you consider that every JL Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel comes standard with Dana 44 heavy-duty axles. A 3.73 axle ratio is standard, except for the ones found in the Wrangler Rubicon, which packs a 4.10 ratio.
The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 engine coming to the Wrangler is essentially the same as the one found in the Ram 1500, though a different intake and exhaust had to be fitted for packaging reasons. As a result, total output for the Jeep EcoDiesel is 260 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, down 38 lb-ft of torque from the unit in the Ram truck. Fuel economy and tow rating figures are not yet available from Jeep, but we efficiency to be better than Ram 1500 EcoDiesel’s officially ratings 32 mpg highway and 22 mpg city for 4×2 models.
The 2020 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel will go on sale before the end of the year, with a diesel variant of the Jeep Gladiator pickup joining the lineup at some point in 2020. The diesel powertrain is a no brainer for the Gladiator, as its mid-sized competitor the Chevy Colorado already has a diesel mill available. We quite like the idea of hitting the trails with a torquey diesel engine in the front of aJeep Wrangler, and we think that Jeep fans will too.
