Jeep Considering Power-Retractable Top For Fourth-Gen Wrangler

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon

Rumored to be in the early stages of development, the fourth generation of the Jeep Wrangler could have an power-retractable top as one of a few items designed to attract more customers to the off-roading legend.

Road & Track reports the top would be aimed as a high-end option at those who can’t be bothered undoing the soft-top or disassembling the hard top found on current models. Also on the agenda are removable doors and a frame redesign aimed at delivering a smoother ride while retaining the Wrangler’s solid axles.

What won’t make it to the new Wrangler? The folding windshield and rear-mounted spare tire, due to safety concerns and an overall goal of saving weight.

Cameron Aubernon
Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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  • Wheeljack Wheeljack on Mar 10, 2014

    Considering the body variability on Wranglers, it'll be a miracle if they can get a power folding top to work seamlessly, fit properly and not leak. The soft top is reasonably easy to fold down, at least on the 2-dr models. It got quite a bit easier when they went to the "cable" tensioned top in 2010 or 2011 (I don't remember which), but be prepared for the top to do some interesting things in a heavy crosswind. I will say that I think the SWB TJ top was easier to put up and down than the early JK tops, and it fit a lot tighter too.

  • Rudiger Rudiger on Mar 11, 2014

    It would be interesting to see the solution to removing the rear mounted spare. While most are envisioning the common solution of run-flats or a can of fix-a-flat, something that could actually fly in a Wrangler context is an externally mounted spare 'not' in the rear, say a driver-side, rear-quarter mounted or on the roof. It's that or inside the interior in the cargo area. As to the reason, that's a no-brainer. It's not safety, nor even weight. It's profit. Those full-sized spares are expensive (especially with the big tires that Wranglers come with). You can damn well bet that if a full-size spare disappears from the Wrangler, the price won't go down one penny.

  • DenverMike DenverMike on Mar 11, 2014

    It's not a matter of whether you take off the doors, the top and flip down the windshield. Point is you can. Doing these things makes for a much better wheel'n experience, which the original owner may never do. But they can. So who are we to judge if the don't? They may be too concerned about voiding the warranty. A broken axle (housing or carrier) with scrape marks from rocks found on the under carriage. Electrical problems with water spots left on the inner body paint. Or a blown engine with water (not antifreeze) in the cylinders. Yes Off roading is what a Wrangler is designed for, but within reason. Not hardcore. Will insurance pay for an off roading mishap? Like a rollover? What about a crashed Corvette on a race track? But shouldn't we also judge that new or late model Corvette owner that doesn't take it out to the track? Ever? Wtf? Or the pickup truck owner that only buys the occasional strips of lumber then uses a towel to protect the tailgate protector? The flat and foldable windshield and removable top/doors is, was just part of the CJ, TJ, etc, history and legendary lineage dating back to the Willys war GP. The same with the rear tire carrier. The fold down windshield is great for wheel'n, but to drop it for driving on public roads is lame. In the city, don't.

    • See 1 previous
    • Pete Zaitcev Pete Zaitcev on Mar 11, 2014

      @Hummer Warranty story is somewhat mixed and changes dealership by dealership. Some are scumbags and clearly scheme to avoid warranty work. Others almost seem like they actually profit by fixing under warranty. I heard of people getting warranty repairs on sensors after a Hemi swap without problems.

  • Meko_Suko Meko_Suko on Mar 11, 2014

    The gf had a Jeep Liberty with the Skyroof in it. It was a pretty nice option. You could open it from front to back and vice versa. You could also open it only partially in either direction. I'd think this would do well on a Wrangler. You already know what a real Jeep is and this would just seem to bring you closer to the outdoors w/o having to remove equipment. My .02

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