Long Shift Lever Fans, Rejoice: Next-Gen Wrangler Will Get a Manual Transmission
The crew can breathe a sigh of relief. It looks like the upcoming 2018 Jeep Wrangler won’t be an automatic-only model after all.
Spy shots of a Wrangler test mule’s interior shows a six-speed manual transmission, meaning Fiat Chrysler Automobiles got word from owners that the tranny option was worth saving.
In May, we learned that FCA executives were hanging around the 2016 Overland Expo, asking owners what they thought of the possibility of ditching row-your-own versions of the next-generation Wrangler. Going by existing inventories, roughly 10 percent of Wranglers leave the lot with a stick shift, and many auto pundits agree the unit isn’t a joy to operate.
Messing too much with the Jeepiest of Jeeps is a recipe for revolt, so FCA probably felt it was safer to leave the damn thing alone.
We know that the 2018 Wrangler will gain a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, but the next manual could also be a new unit. The photos show a different shift lever, and reverse gear has been moved from the lower right to upper left position.
Expect the manual transmission to be offered on lower-end trims, mated to the 3.6-liter V6, and possibly the upcoming 3.0-liter diesel V6. Jeep is expected to offer a turbocharged 2.0-liter “Hurricane” four as an upgrade, though it’s doubtful the roughly 300 horsepower unit will get a manual transmission mate. The Hurricane engine was already spied undergoing testing in a Wrangler.
Besides the new engines and transmissions, the next-generation Wrangler will see weight-saving measures and aerodynamic tweaks aimed at wringing every last bit of gas mileage out of the boxy model.
[Images: © 2016 Spiedbilde/The Truth About Cars]
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"Expect the manual transmission to be offered on lower-end trims, mated to the 3.6-liter V6, and possibly the upcoming 3.0-liter diesel V6. Jeep is expected to offer a turbocharged 2.0-liter “Hurricane” four as an upgrade, though it’s doubtful the roughly 300 horsepower unit will get a manual transmission mate" So it starts, Jeep wants to limit the manual to the lower end trims, and engines. In a few years the take rate of the manual will be significantly lower, since it is only being offered in configurations that no one actually wants to buy. At which point Jeep can justify discontinuing the manual, with the poor excuse that no one is buying them anymore.
The new Wranglers have drive by wire and have a pretty sweet set up. IN four low you can start the engine with the vehicle in gear and the clutch out. plus it has a "no stall" feature that will crawl at walking speed and feed in throttle as you encounter obstacles, effectively acting like an automatic where you let it idle up the trail. It's really slick.