Here at Last: FCA Releases First Official Photos of the 2018 Jeep Wrangler

by Tim Healey

Published: November 1st, 2017

here at last fca releases first official photos of the 2018 jeep wrangler

It’s been rumored and reported on for months, but we now know what the 2018 Jeep Wrangler will look like.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles spiced up Halloween — and made Wrangler aficionados’ day — by confirming in photos the design of the two- and four-door JL Wrangler. Purists should breathe a sigh of relief.

FCA also released a brief press release late Tuesday, but it’s sparse on any details that can’t be seen in the photos. That means no confirmation of powertrains, transmissions, or specifications. The only truly key detail that’s been confirmed is the available fold-down windshield, but then again, that’s one feature that was almost certain to carry forward from the previous Wranglers.

Jeep’s statement also confirmed there will be a lot of available door, windshield, and roof combinations. That, too, isn’t a shocker.

Alas, there was nary a mention of the Wrangler pickup truck.

It’s unclear why FCA chose to release these pictures on Halloween while many of us were either trick or treating, partying, or watching the World Series, but it likely coincides with Mopar releasing a bunch of aftermarket parts for the 2018 Wrangler as part of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show taking place in Las Vegas this week.

At first glance, the pics show styling that favors evolution over revolution. The JL Wrangler looks a lot like the current JK Wrangler, but with more slope to the hood and a more-rounded grille.

It looks like the front windshield folds down much more easily, and the A-pillar stays in place when the windshield is folded. Turn signals move to the front fenders and a vent appears behind the front fenders.

One photo appears to show a manual transmission, manual transfer case, and hand-activated emergency brake. The trim in that pic looks to be a Rubicon.

We’ll learn the rest of the details at the end of November when FCA officially unveils the Wrangler at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. Maybe we’ll learn more about the pickup’s timeline at that point.

[Images: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]

#2017LosAngelesAutoShow #2018JeepWrangler #Fca #Jeep #JeepWrangler #JeepWranglerJL #LAAutoShow #NewCars #Wrangler

Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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3 of 24 comments

SuperCarEnthusiast on Nov 02, 2017

I could be wrong but the new Wrangler looks like the current model.

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- JohnTaurus on Nov 04, 2017
  
  Why mess with success? Wrangler, like the 911 (and to a lesser extent, Mustang and Camaro) is best when left to the same basic formula, gradually changing with each new generation while becoming more modern in the process without losing its identity.
  
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Pete Zaitcev on Nov 03, 2017

This looks interesting. I hope the seat goes low enough, so my head clears the roll cage. It didn't on JK, but on JK it was relatively easy to rectify with a hacksaw and a welder.

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