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3.0L EcoDiesel JL Diesel Wrangler First Drive Off Road
3.0L EcoDiesel JL Diesel Wrangler First Drive Off Road
A Diesel Wrangler for the USA
Two of the questions we most frequently get asked is: 1- When is Jeep going to build a Wrangler pickup, and 2- When is the Wrangler going to get a diesel engine? Well, Christmas, Easter, Graduation Day, and all those other highly anticipated events have come early because now both are finally reality. As we all know, the Gladiator pickup was introduced earlier this year. And we just got out of the driver's seat of several 3.0L EcoDiesel-powered JL Wranglers. So now that the unicorn does exist, how does it drive on- and off-road? We're here to tell you. We had the opportunity to drive several JL Rubicon Unlimited models in Sand Hollow outside of Hurricane, Utah, and the scenery paled only in comparison to the gentle clacking of a 3.0L V-6 diesel under the curvy hood of a Wrangler. So how does a JL Wrangler with a 442 lb-ft diesel engine do off-road? About as great as you'd think it would. Here's our first impressions.
The elephant in the room is the torque the 3.0L EcoDiesel engine in the JL Wrangler produces. The engine makes a meaty 442 lb-ft of torque at 1,400 rpm, which is slightly lower on the rpm scale than the <a href="https://www.motortrend.com/cars/ram/1500/">Ram 1500</a> EcoDiesel because of the water fording capability of the Wrangler. That torque is apparent right in the usable range on-road and off- although we suspect the computer is limiting the torque on 0-60, wide-open-throttle attacks to save the transmission like it does in the larger 6.7L-powered Cummins Turbodiesel pickups. The Wrangler 3.0L EcoDiesel is rated at 260hp.
Generally when a new model of 4x4 is introduced media types are allowed to take the vehicles off-road. We got to explore a few legitimate obstacles in Sand Hollow State Park, near Hurricane, Utah. We felt nothing but confidence in the Diesel in the rocks on steep climbs. The Rubicon model retains the 4:1 of the RockTrac transfer case (while the others we drove had the standard 2.72:1 low range). The torque and gearing were confidence inspiring while crawling the sandstone in Sand Hollow.
The Rubicon has an impressive crawl ratio of 70.3:1 in low range and First gear. All EcoDiesel Wranglers come standard with the 8HP75 eight-speed transmission, though shift points and torque converter are specific to the 3.0L diesel. The cost of the EcoDiesel package in the Wrangler is an additional $4,000 over a comparable 3.6L V-6 Wrangler with the automatic transmission. The 3.0L EcoDiesel is only available in the four-door Wrangler Unlimited for the 2020 model. Electronic swaybar disconnect, front and rear lockers, and other Rubicon appointments are carried over from the gas powered Rubicon.
The EcoDiesel engine weights approximately 400 pounds more than the 3.6L V-6 and thus the Diesel equipped Wranglers have higher-rate coil springs and specially valved shocks. The engine is also held in place with heavy-duty hydro-style engine mounts to absorb vibration We didn't get to let the diesel run through the woops quite as fast as we would have liked, but in the sand the suspension felt as competent as gas-powered JLs we've driven. The four-door JL Unlimited, in our experience, do remarkably well in the sand and bumps for a solid-axle rig.
A 5.1-liter diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank with special skidplate is tucked under the rear of the EcoDiesel JL Wrangler next to the factory muffler. Jeep engineers claim that one tank of DEF should last up to 10,000 miles depending on how the Wrangler is driven. Time will tell. The third-generation of the turbocharged 3.0L EcoDiesel V-6 has been called "all new" but is definitely based on its predecessors. The engine has a new port design, injector nozzles, and low-friction package in the piston with a diamond-like protective coating on the piston rod and compression ring. The water-cooled variable-geometry turbo is new and the system has a new low-pressure EGR after the turbo to further increase efficiency and prevent turbo vane coking. Packaging is very different between the 2020 <a href="https://www.motortrend.com/cars/ram/">Ram</a> 1500 EcoDiesel and Wrangler JL EcoDiesel due to the very different engine compartments and requirements of a truly off-road vehicle.
All EcoDiesel JL Wranglers receive the larger heavy-duty third-generation Dana 44 front and rear axles. All Sport, Sahara, and Rubicon come from the factory with 3.73:1 axle gears to maximize efficiency of the highest torque rated, and most efficient Wrangler yet.Fuel economy ratings are not fully established, but while driving on-road through Zion National park, and then along the highway to Sand Hollow was exceptional especially given the aggressive throttle we were using to get a feel for the new engine. We're clocking a solid 18.5 mpg in mixed driving and 21-23 mph freeway with a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited, so we're betting the 3.0L EcoDiesel will have no trouble matching or besting that.
While you are driving the Wrangler EcoDiesel, you know there is a diesel under the hood, however the engine is as quiet and refined as should be expected from a $40,000-$60,000 vehicle. Torque is there when you want it with no noticeable turbo lag and the vehicle feels crisp and easily controllable at speed on the highway. We did notice a jet engine-like noise off-throttle while off-road in a soft top EcoDiesel Wrangler.
The electronic nannies did not take over control in the EcoDiesel Wrangler Rubicon while off-roading the hard lines in the loose rocks of Sand Hollow. The EcoDiesel Wrangler did as they were told even when wheels were up and traction was questionable because of loose rocks and sand.
We're a little bit bummed out that there is no two-door EcoDiesel Wrangler available, and since we are die-hard manual transmission fiends we also wish that there was a manual option for the Diesel, but it's hard to complain when a car company like Jeep finally listens to its enthusiasts and customers and gives us the engine we've been clamoring for for decades.
The EcoDiesel Wrangler JL should be available late this year as a 2020 model. Tow ratings will be equal to that of other four-door Wrangler JLs. We also continued to poke and prod our contacts at Jeep who finally admitted that currently the plan is to also offer the Gladiator with the 3.0L EcoDiesel part way through the 2021 year model. That too should share the tow rating of the gasoline-powered Gladiators.
