The biggest reveal of the Los Angeles Auto Show has already taken place with the new JL model of the Jeep Wrangler that will arrive at the beginning of the 2018 calendar year for us to have the drive we want on and off the roads. The work and worry are over and the JL model is here sporting a ton of amazing looks and qualities that are expected and have been used on models in the past. This means we have the large seven-slot grill, the round-eye headlights, the square taillights, and the short overhangs that are signature items.

New to the Jeep Wrangler is the engine lineup with brings in two additional engines to choose giving the Pentastar V6 some companions when it’s time to have the drive needed for what you want to experience on the roads and trails. The front of this SUV is also rounded to give it some impressive and amazing qualities that show off a bit more sport than in the past. While all this was expected, what we weren’t sure about what the final part of the announcement that put the icing on the cake for this SUV.

The Big Announcement

When you think of the Jeep Wrangler you probably don’t think of fuel efficiency or hybrid as part of the package. In order to continue to be a strong participant in the market and offer what we want, FCA recognizes the need to embrace hybrid powertrains across every model for the future, including the Wrangler. With this in mind, the Jeep Wrangler is expected to show up with a hybrid powertrain by the 2020 model year to make sure we have an SUV that can offer more efficiency for what we want to have out on the trails we travel.

The new hybrid Wrangler will be a plug-in version and puta hard date on the model allows us to think this vehicle is already being developed. The question remains of which engine will be used for the hybrid model. The rumor is the 2.0-liter engine that’s new to the Wrangler might be the right choice, but FCA already has an engine that could be perfectly capable of offering us what we want when it’s time to get out on the trails and have a more efficient way to enjoy the off-road experiences in the new Jeep Wrangler.

The engine that FCA could use, which is already offered on one other model, is the 3.6-liter V6 engine in the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. This engine uses an electric motor and 16-kWh battery to give use 33 miles of EV driving while also making use of the Atkinson cycle. This might be the right powertrain for the new Jeep Wrangler Hybrid that we’ll see in the future. There’s no doubt the team at Jeep wants us to continue to have a strong interest in what the Jeep Wrangler will offer over the next few years and now we can look forward to the upcoming pickup model and the hybrid version that will follow.

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