In July of this year, Jeep had its best sales month ever in the U.S., with 14,355 Wranglers leaving dealer lots. And those, we must remember, were vehicles fitted with a rather old-school 3.8-liter V-8, a pushrod iron-block engine that gets the job done but fails to make the 4000-plus-lb. Wrangler feel even remotely quick.
Now, that has changed; Jeep is fitting the new 2012 Wrangler with the 60-degree 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, a 4-cam aluminum-block engine that puts out 285 bhp at 6400 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. of torque at 4800 rpm on regular 87-octane unleaded. That compares favorably to the old 3.8, which puts out only 202 bhp at 5200 rpm and 237 lb.-ft. of torque at 4000 rpm. What’s more, the new Pentastar V-6, which has variable timing on the intake and exhaust cams, weighs 90 lb. less than the outgoing 3.8.
To make the Pentastar suitable for a Wrangler, Jeep engineers fitted it with a new 2-piece intake manifold with runners tuned to broaden the torque curve, a goal also reached with help from a new exhaust manifold that has significantly improved scavenging. Also, the alternator has been moved to a higher location, to let the Wrangler maintain its impressive 30-in. fording capability, and a new oilpan was created to make room for the front axle.
The base transmission for the 2012 Jeep Wrangler is a 6-speed manual; a more popular choice historically is the automatic, with a new A580 5-speed replacing last year’s 4-speed box. First gear is lower in the new automatic, which allows for a better low-range crawl ratio on the remarkably capable Rubicon models with their stronger axles, locking differentials and cockpit-disconnectable front anti-roll bars. (more)
Keep Reading: 2012 Jeep Wrangler – First Drive >>
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