The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is the V8-powered Wrangler y’all have been asking for. Now we know how much 470 horsepower under the hood will cost you – $73,500 – and that’s before taxes, fees, and any dealership markup.
With typical Wrangler Rubicon looks on the outside, the Rubicon 392’s big selling point is its engine. The 6.4-liter V8 can get from zero to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds and is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Jeep is equipping the Rubicon 392 with a 21.5-gallon fuel tank to help with the thirsty engine’s range. To save on fuel, the Rubicon 392 uses cylinder deactivation to switch into four-cylinder mode when the V8 isn’t needed.
The noise out back is courtesy of a two-mode performance exhaust. A functional air scoop feeds the engine and keeps it cool.
All that power requires a stronger frame than the typical Wrangler has. It gets upgraded frame rails, improved cast-iron steering knuckles, and beefier front upper control arms. Stopping power comes from the SUV’s larger-than-usual brakes – the Rubicon 392 has 14-inch rotors instead of the Rubicon’s typical 13.4-inchers. A 2.0-inch lift is standard.
Jeep has given the model an Off-Road Plus button that lets you lock the rear of the Wrangler Rubicon 392 while it’s in four-wheel drive high gear. This functionality will prove especially helpful to desert trekking enthusiasts who get slippery sand under the tires but have to keep up their forward motion so they don’t sink and get stuck.
It’s also Moab-ready. The Wrangler Rubicon 392 doesn’t have the Rock-Trac transfer case that’s in the typical Rubicon, but it makes up for it with the availability of low-end torque courtesy of the new V8. Add in the standard Select-Trac transfer case, locking rear differentials, and front sway bar disconnect and adventuring on rocks just became more manageable.
The entire rig rides on 33-inch BF Goodrich KO2 tires that sit at all four corners one 17-inch beadlock-capable tires.
Jeep has given the SUV 11 features that are normally options on Wrangler, nine color choices for buyers to pick from, and bronze colored accents. At the center of the dashboard is an n8.4-inch infotainment screen that allows Jeep Off-Road Pages to be viewed.
Mopar will offer factory-based accessories with the model.
The new Jeep is expected to arrive at dealerships in the first quarter of this year.
