The verdict: The refreshed 2024 Jeep Wrangler features several subtle but significant upgrades that bring more capabilities and improve safety without upsetting the fundamental Wrangler experience.
Versus the competition: The Wrangler’s primary competitor, the Ford Bronco, has been making sales inroads of late, but the Jeep’s enhancements for 2024 should help keep it fully competitive with its main rival.
The current-generation Jeep Wrangler debuted for the 2018 model year, bringing a higher level of sophistication and refinement to a time-honored off-road icon. Jeep actively expanded the Wrangler’s roster over the last five years, adding the EcoDiesel V-6 engine for 2020 and the 4xe plug-in hybrid and outrageous 470-horsepower Rubicon 392 for 2021. The Wrangler has long enjoyed a virtual monopoly on the serious off-roader market, but that changed when Ford launched its long-awaited revival of its storied Bronco for 2021, taking direct aim at the Wrangler.
Related: 2024 Jeep Wrangler: Tech Overhaul, Capability Gains, New Base 4xe
The Wrangler was already due for a refresh, and the challenge of a fresh rival with some nostalgic heritage of its own surely lit an extra fire under Jeep’s engineers and product planners. So, for 2024, the Wrangler lineup receives a number of welcome upgrades and new features, chief among them a new infotainment system and a couple of key safety items. I drove a handful of 2024 Wranglers and sampled several of these enhancements at the brand’s press preview event in St. George, Utah. (Per our ethics policy, Cars.com pays for its own airfare and lodging when attending such manufacturer-sponsored events.)
Powertrains Stand Pat
The Wrangler’s powertrain lineup and basic trim-level hierarchy carries over for the most part. The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine was phased out during the 2023 model year, but the 285-hp, 3.6-liter gas V-6 remains standard in most trims, with the 270-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder optional. Power-hungry types (with a lot of disposable income) can still choose the Rubicon 392 and its 470-hp, 6.4-liter Hemi V-8. The 4xe PHEV gains a new entry-level Sport S trim with a starting price of $51,790 (all prices include destination), shaving almost $5,000 off the PHEV’s price of entry. There’s also a new Rubicon X variant that comes standard with 35-inch tires, an integrated off-road camera and a steel front bumper.
I drove a few 4xes at the event; one of them had a full battery charge and delivered 22 miles of pure-electric driving range, meeting its 2023 EPA estimate. The 4xe’s electric-motor whir in all-electric driving is accompanied by a rather coarse exhaust note when the four-cylinder engine kicks in. I also took a Rubicon 392 on a challenging off-road trail, where its hairy-chested V-8 rumble delighted even if it was ridiculously overpowered for the driving tasks at hand. When you’re driving a Rubicon 392, some people (and probably you) won’t be able to resist the urge to grunt like Tim Allen when goosing the throttle pedal.
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Infotainment Improvements
One of the most noteworthy updates is apparent the minute you get inside a 2024 Wrangler: A 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen running Jeep’s latest Uconnect 5 software replaces the 7- or 8.4-inch screens of the outgoing model. Jeep says the Uconnect 5 operating system is five times more powerful than Uconnect 4, and it’s upgradable via over-the-air updates. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is standard, and new features include the ability to program up to five driver profiles with customized presets for music, apps, seating position and climate controls.
On Wranglers equipped with navigation, the infotainment system gets the Trails Offroad trail guide feature — complete with maps and details like difficulty level, terrain types, camping amenities and availability of electric vehicle charging stations. The feature comes preloaded with about 200 trail guides, including 62 Jeep Badge of Honor trails, and offers a $39.99 annual subscription that unlocks more than 3,000 trail maps. We only got a brief demo of the system, but it looks like a genuine value add for die-hard off-road adventurers.
The new touchscreen is nicely integrated into the Wrangler’s signature flat-panel dashboard above its central physical controls. The larger display screen is a big plus in general, but especially when using the available front off-road camera. And thankfully, bright sunlight doesn’t affect the visibility of the display; you can still read the screen when you have your Wrangler’s top and doors off. The system’s response times are quick, and almost all features are easy to access via shortcuts and a menu bar that runs down the left side of the screen.
Interior Improvements
Previous Wranglers all made do with manual front seats, but High Altitude and above trim levels now come with 12-way power-adjustable front seats; Jeep says the seats have been designed and tested to withstand the Wrangler’s maximum water-fording capability of 34 inches. These trims also get acoustic front glass, thicker carpet and sound-deadening foam for a 5-decibel reduction in ambient noise inside the cabin, though the Wrangler is still one of the noisier vehicles on the market due to its boxy shape, removable top and, typically, off-road-focused tires.
Dash-top accessory mounting points are a subtle but clever update. They’re located under rubberized liners on two depressed areas atop the dashboard and can be used for aftermarket mounts for a smartphone, GoPro camera or what have you.
On the safety front, first- and second-row side curtain airbags are a new standard feature along with structural improvements for side impact performance. Along the same lines, forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability go in Sport S and higher trims. A blind spot monitor with rear cross-path detection and rear parking sensors go in High Altitude and above trims and are available on other trims.
Exterior Updates
In addition to primarily cosmetic updates like the redesigned grille (with unique finishes on Willys, High Altitude and Sahara trims) and 10 new wheel designs across the lineup, there’s a welcome functional update: Instead of the old wire antenna mounted on the passenger-side front fender, the antenna is now integrated into the windshield. This is an especially nice feature for off-road driving — one less thing to snag on a tree branch or other obstacle along the trail.
The new grille retains the iconic Jeep seven-slot design, but it’s a bit shorter than before and has additional open areas between the slots for extra cooling; Jeep says these changes are to accommodate the factory-installed Warn winch that is newly available on the Rubicon. The winch has an 8,000-pound capacity (we watched it hoist a dune buggy out of a ravine during a demonstration at the press event). It costs $1,995 on Rubicon X and Rubicon 392 trims and $3,495 as part of an option package on regular Rubicons that also includes steel bumpers; not cheap, but there is the extra piece of mind that comes with a fully validated factory installation of a popular aftermarket item.
Other Upgrades
Rubicons also get a more capable rear axle — a full-float Dana 44 HD unit that enables tire upsizing by customers and increases maximum towing capacity from 3,500 pounds to 5,000 pounds. Jeep had a Rubicon hooked up to a 4,300-pound Airstream trailer for us to tow on the press event, and it did so without breaking a sweat.
All 4xe variants will offer a Power Box adapter that plugs into the external charging port, enabling external devices to run off the vehicle’s battery. The Power Box includes four household outlets and supports 30 amps of total output; it comes standard on Sahara, Rubicon, Rubicon X and High Altitude 4xe variants; Sport S and Willys 4xe trims will offer the Power Box as an option later in the model year. The Power Box strikes us as a handy accessory for camping or tailgating — Jeep representatives were using one to power a widescreen TV at the press event, and the cable is long enough to position the box several feet away from the vehicle.
All of these upgrades and new features don’t change the fundamental personality or driving characteristics of the Wrangler, they just make it a little bit more capable and up to date … and a little more competitive against those pesky Broncos.
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