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2018 Jeep Wrangler interior revealed with retro touches and bright colors

Easily one of the weakest points of the current Jeep Wrangler (and most past ones for that matter) is the bleak, black plastic interior. Now, thanks to a pair of images from Jeep we get our first unobscured look at the new Wrangler's interior. And thanks to some retro cues, it's a much brighter and more cheerful place. As expected from spy photos, the dashboard's main design features are simple, flat body-color panels positioned in front of the driver and passenger. They harken back to the painted metal dashboards of vintage Jeeps, and at the same time bring a splash of color and contrast to what would otherwise be a plain, average interior. In fact, it's the same strategy used by both the Fiat 500 and Volkswagen Beetle. There's more metal-finish trim around the switches that advance the bright look, too. The whole dash is flatter, with things like the grab handle mounted flusher. Everything has a more geometric, crisp shape, with each bank of buttons featuring beveled borders. At the top of the dash is a big touch screen for infotainment. It's possible lower-trim levels will have head units with smaller screens and some more buttons, but at least on this model, it's all about the touchscreen. There are volume and tuning knobs lower, though. This is also where the various climate controls are found. The instrument panel gets a sharp-looking center screen, too, and the analog dials have been reduced from four large units down to two on either side of the screen. Below the climate controls are the window switches, power outlet and media inputs. At the very bottom we find switches for off-road features, indicating that this is probably a Rubicon model. A switch to the left surrounded by red accenting controls the front and rear differential locks, and in the middle is a button for disconnecting the anti-roll bars for greater articulation. On the right are four generic buttons that seem like the auxiliary toggles in the F-150 Raptor, so they should be able to connect to lights, a winch, and other aftermarket accessories. Jeep still hasn't revealed any other details on specifications or pricing. That information will be released on November 29 during the Wrangler's official reveal at the L.A. auto show. We expect it to only offer a V6 at launch with either a manual transmission (shown in the images) or an automatic, with the turbocharged four-cylinder engine coming later. Related Video:

2017 Los Angeles Auto Show Recap Livestream

Autoblog editors discuss the highlights of the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Jeep Wrangler and Chevy Corvette ZR1, were huge stars, but more mainstream SUVs like the Hyundai Kona, Subaru Ascent, Nissan Kicks and Lincoln Nautilus were also significant. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore and Senior Editor John Beltz Snyder discuss the latest from L.A. LA Auto Show Jeep Subaru SUV Videos 2017 LA Auto Show

Jeep Liberty under investigation for door fires

The Jeep Liberty has already had plenty of attention for possible fires thanks to the first-gen model's fuel tank, but now the midsize Jeep is under the microscope of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for another fire-related concern. NHTSA has opened an investigation for the 2012 Liberty after receiving two reports of electrical fires in the driver's door.
According to the investigation summary, around 80,000 vehicles could potentially be affected by this problem. In both reported fires, the drivers noticed smoke and then flames from the master power window switch, and they had to pull to a stop and exit through the passenger side of the SUV. According to Autoguide, there was one injury to a motorist who suffered burned fingers while trying to open the driver's door.
Interestingly, the Dodge Nitro is not yet involved in this investigation, even though it was still around for the 2012 model year; the Nitro ended production in 2011 about a year before the final Liberty rolled off the line for the 2013 model year. Scroll down for the official NHTSA investigation summary.