Sam Krahn 
Last week, Jeep announced they would reveal a mystery new model on Tuesday, November 17. Now, it looks like that mystery has been solved, only it isn’t the vehicle we thought it would be. We expected the long awaited 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee in three row guise to make its debut, but based on some fairly obvious teasers on the Jeep Instagram, that’s not the case. Instead, tomorrows reveal will almost certainly be the production-bound Jeep Wrangler 392.
This V8-powered off-road SUV is a bit of a river card in the ongoing poker game between the 2021 Ford Bronco and the defending JL Jeep Wrangler. Earlier this year, engineers informed us that the 2021 Ford Bronco is unlikely to ever get a V8 engine. This Jeep Wrangler 392 could hit the Bronco where it hurts: right in the cylinder count.
We first saw the Hemi V8 powered Jeep Wrangler 392 Concept this summer, on the same day as the Ford Bronco. This was no doubt intentional. The Jeep featured the much-loved 6.4 liter, 392 cubic inch Apache Hemi V8, where it produced 450 hp and 450 ft-lbs of torque. These numbers could send the V8 Jeep to 60 mph in under 5 seconds. Does a Jeep Wrangler need this much power or performance? Not really, but that’s exactly what makes it so wonderful.
This summer’s concept also featured Dana 44 axles, a full-time two-speed transfer case, electric front and rear axle lockers, Fox internal-bypass racing shocks, a Jeep Performance Parts two-inch lift and 37 inch mud-terrain tires. It’s unclear how many of these parts will make it to the final product, but it appears all will be told tomorrow.
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Jeep’s first teaser on their Instagram, seen above, features a Wrangler driving on either a salt flat, dried up lakebed, or in the desert before kicking up enough dust to obscure the camera. Most important, however, is the unmistakeable V8 soundtrack as the Wrangler accelerates. The caption, “some concepts are so powerful they storm into reality,” tells us all we really need to know. The second teaser, below, shows the Jeep Wrangler 392 off-roading in the desert and rock crawling, hinting it’ll be a jack of all trades. The V8 rumble is here as well.
This second teaser also says, “Preproduction model shown. Available early 2021.” At this point, there’s little to deny the V8 Wrangler reveal is coming tomorrow, and the SUV will go on sale early next year. With nothing larger than a V6 in sight for the Bronco, the Jeep Wrangler 392 is set to be an intriguing proposition for off-road enthusiasts.
The 2021 Jeep Wrangler otherwise features an extensive powertrain lineup compared to the 2021 Ford Bronco, which comes standard with a 2.3L EcoBoost four, with an upgrade being the 2.7L EcoBoost V6.. The base motor is a power-dense 2.0L turbo four with 260 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque. The step-up from there is the tried-and-true 3.6L Pentastar V6, with 285 hp and 260 lb-ft. It can be had in both automatic and manual transmissions. A unique powertrain option is the 3.0L V6 EcoDiesel engine, delivering 260 hp and a thumping 480 lb-ft of rich, powerful torque. Coming soon is the 4xe plug-in hybrid Jeep Wrangler. This futuristic powertrain will deliver 25 miles of electric-only driving, 50 MPGe, 375 total hp and 470 lb-ft of combined torque on a full charge.
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The Wrangler 392 will now be the most powerful Wrangler.