2022 Jeep Wagoneer Series Iii 4x4 on 2040-cars

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Crawling Moab in the 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk [w/video]

The funny thing about the Renegade Trailhawk is that Jeep still feels the need to defend it. For the past 20 years, automakers have sent emissary vehicles outside the citadel walls surrounding their brand niche. In doing so, these companies found buyers eager to join the cult instead of an angry horde. With the kingdom successfully expanded, automakers had to build new walls to contain this broader identity. This is the story of Jeep's modern expansion, growing with new models while the faithful at the brand's center howl at every quest into broader market segments. Thirteen years after it busted out the Liberty and eight years after birthing the Compass and Patriot, you'd think the resistance to new Jeeps would subside. But no. It's 2015, and while nobody makes the slightest tantrum over BMW's new minivan (except for Sniff Petrol), the Renegade still has to fight its way through pitchforks and torches. Which is a long way of saying that this author is guilty of brand prejudice, too. When the company told us that we'd spend the first day of the Easter Jeep Safari driving seven awesome concepts and the second day driving the Renegade Trailhawk on Dome Point Trail, we could only think, "They giveth excitement, and they taketh it away." Our pessimism was later proven to be incorrect. Sharing the sentiment our colleague Brandon Turkus expressed after his Quick Spin, we found the Renegade to be "in a word, impressive." Dome Point will not trouble a kitted-out Wrangler, but in a compact SUV with on-road tires the rocky sections were chunky enough to require close attention to your lines or use a spotter. As instructed, we put the little 4x4 into the Selec-Terrain's Rock mode, and with common sense plus one eye on the man directing us with hand signals the Renegade climbed over everything with some wheelspin but little fuss. At the first rest point, we turned the car off to wait for vehicles behind. Not realizing that this resets the drive mode to Auto, we crawled through the next two rocky jumbles in the default setting. The result was the same: a bit of wheelspin climbing over thick steps, but an altogether drama-free passage. Auto mode can't use the engine throttle maps unique to each Selec-Terrain setting, but it doesn't hamper the Renegade's capability by much. On a steep bit of trail with a crest capped by stacked stone plinths, it took three tries to find the right line, but that's on us – the Renegade did more than expected.

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee TrackHawk shows off its hellish supercharged V8

We've seen the spy shots of this thing, the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee TrackHawk, before. But only from the outside. The external changes are plenty telling, but there was always the slight chance we were looking only at an extra-hot SRT version, not a full-blown (pun intended) TrackHawk with a Hellcat motor. Until the hood goes up, there's no telling what we're really looking at. Well, seeing is believing. We have been looking at TrackHawks all along. And Mike Manley, Jeep's CEO, wasn't selling the world a bill of goods when he said to expect the thing "by the end of 2017". As you can clearly see in the slightly noisy engine shot, that's a supercharger parked on top of FCA's 6.2-liter V8, just like in the Charger and Challenger Hell-twins. Chances are it'll make the same power as it does in those two – 707 hp, in case you're just waking up from cryo-stasis and aren't aware of the most famous power output figure on the planet. There are some differences between this Grand Cherokee and ones we've previously pegged as TrackHawks. The fog lights in the lower grille vents are gone, and the rear fascia gets a bit more aggressive. Perhaps these will be the external details that separate the TrailHawk from the lowly non-supercharged SRT versions. We've also been hearing about quad exhaust tips, but haven't seen them on a prototype yet. If Jeep wants to get this thing out on the road by the end of the year, we're likely to see it coming to an auto show soon. Keep your eyes peeled. Related Video:

2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited JL Sahara Drivers' Notes Review | Fun, multiplied

The 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited JL has huge boots to fill. Its predecessor, the Wrangler JK, was one of the most important vehicles ever, truly breaking Jeep's icon into the mass market. The outgoing Wrangler — especially the four-door Unlimited model — was finally a car you could comfortably live with seven days a week. The new model improves on it in every way without sacrificing what makes Jeeps so beloved. Our loaner was a optioned-up Sahara Unlimited. If you're going for maximum on-road comfort, this is the one to get. It has quite a few options, bumping the as-tested MSRP to $52,235. Features include leather upholstery, heated seats, LED lighting, an upgraded infotainment system, blind-spot monitoring, a body-color hardtop and a Dana 44 rear axle. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: The 2018 Jeep Wrangler is a step forward for this legendary off-roader, improving it in subtle ways that truly effect change. The upgrades feel cohesive and work in harmony to create the most capable and sophisticated Wrangler ever. We tested a loaded-up Unlimited Sahara, which stickered for the eye-watering tally of $52,235. Make no mistake, the Wrangler is a premium SUV. I've always said that if I were to own a Wrangler I'd go for basic trim, but after driving this almost dressy Jeep, I'm not so sure. It's expensive — but it's really nice. The changes for 2018 involve powertrain, design and features. You can read about them here. The styling is what I kept noticing. The changes are subtle, but after looking at it — I'd often stare at it while sipping a cup of coffee last weekend — it really elevates the Wrangler with a more modern look. In Unlimited Sahara trim, with the elegant LED lights, 18-inch polished gray wheels and brilliant white exterior paint, it reminded me more than a bit of the Mercedes G-Class. The greenhouse, which has slightly new and larger window shapes and a steeper windshield angle, also evokes the G-Class, to my eye. This probably wasn't Jeep's intent, but it looks sharp. Speaking of subtle changes, I'd compare the Wrangler's styling changes to the alterations to the Detroit Tigers' uniforms, also from 2017 to 2018. The interior is a solid upgrade from the JK. The digital instruments, the Sahara trim's smart use of leather and stitching, and FCA's clever Uconnect all made my experience in the Wrangler pretty comfy. Love the old war Jeep on the shift knob. The driving experience does feel more comfortable to me compared to the JK.