It’s perfectly balanced. The 470-horsepower, 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 also has 470 pound-feet of torque. That’s a lot, but really the whole rig is a bit extra. Some might say it screams, “please don’t buy a Bronco.”
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 SUV features a standard 2.0-inch lift.Photo courtesy of FCA US LLC
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 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is competent on rocks and sand.Photo courtesy of FCA US LLC
The entire rig rides on 33-inch BF Goodrich KO2 tires that sit at all four corners one 17-inch beadlock-capable tires.
Jeep’s revisions to the Wrangler for this model have given it better approach and departure angles than the standard Rubicon. It can also ford 32.5 inches of water thanks to its new Hydro-Guide air intake system.
On the inside and outside of the Rubicon 392, there are bronze-colored accents. Inside, it’s bronze stitching on leather-appointed surfaces. The seats get performance-inspired, integrated upper bolsters. The SUV’s gauge cluster has gotten a new numbering design while a leather-wrapped performance steering wheel (a first in the Wrangler) is home to wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
At the center of the dashboard is an n8.4-inch infotainment screen that allows Jeep Off-Road Pages to be viewed. Those pages display pitch, roll, altitude, GPS coordinates, drivetrain power distribution and more.
The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is available in nine exterior colors: Black, Bright White, Firecracker Red, Granite Crystal Metallic, Punk ‘n Metallic, Sarge Green Metallic, Snazzberry Metallic, Sting-Gray Metallic and Billet Silver Metallic, all with a black interior.
The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 includes 11 features that are normally options on Wrangler:
- Leather interior
- Infotainment Group
- HD electrical switch bank
- Body-color hard top
- Body-color flares
- Steel Bumper Group
- LED Lighting Group
- Cold Weather Group
- Remote proximity entry
- Safety Group
- Advanced Safety Group
Mopar is standing ready to offer factory-backed parts and accessories for the new model. Customers can shop from the portfolio of Jeep Performance Parts including LED off-road lights, Rubicon winch, Ultimate Dana 44 Advantek front axle with gear ratios available up to 5.38, new off-road beadlock-capable wheels suitable for larger tires, tube doors, off-road bumpers, and rock rails.
Pricing for the model has not yet been announced. The 2021 Wrangler Rubicon starts at $42,195. Expect the Wrangler Rubicon 392 to be higher than that price tag. It is set to arrive in showrooms in January 2021.
