Lucas Bell 
Four-wheel steering isn’t a new technology in the automotive world, but it has had a bit of a resurgence as of late. Interestingly enough, the feature can be found on both high-end exotics as well as off-road oriented vehicles. In the off-road world, these systems effectively shorten a vehicle’s wheelbase and allow for much tighter turns. This can prove beneficial out on the trails, especially in a modern sized SUV. The GMC Hummer EV employs this tech, while the Ford Bronco utilizes rear-axle torque-vectoring for a similar effect. FCA doesn’t currently offer this system on the Jeep Wrangler or any of their products, but that might change soon. Thanks to a recent post on the JLWrangler Forum, we know that Jeep’s Market Research department is asking brand enthusiasts about four-wheel steering, likely for the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator.
The information comes by way of a forum user, who happens to be part of the Jeep Enthusiast Panel. Jeep’s Market Research department sent this user an email survey, in which participants were asked questions about the usefulness of an off-road four-wheel steering system. Furthermore, the automaker asked participants to prioritize certain features that these systems allow. The first feature described was the ability to make tighter turns, while the second described diagonal movement. If you are familiar with the current crop of off-roaders, these might sound similar to the Ford Bronco’s Trail Turn Assist and the GMC Hummer EV’s Crab Mode. Crucially, participants were also allowed to rank both features equally.
While these surveys are certainly not confirmation of anything, four-wheel steering is a logical upgrade for the Jeep Wrangler and the lineup as a whole. It’s an off-road feature that the Ford Bronco doesn’t technically have, despite its trick torque-vectoring eLSD. And while the Jeep Wrangler isn’t exactly priced to fight the new GMC Hummer EV, the Ford definitely can’t do a crab impression either. Automakers love to copy each other’s work, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see these features come to light.
