The wait is finally over! Jeep has released photos of the next-generation Wrangler. Unfortunately, Jeep only dropped three photos with zero information, but the soft debut confirms much of the speculation, rumors, and spy shots we’ve been pouring over the last year. Yes, the 2018 Wrangler JL’s windshield folds down. Yes, the doors come off. And Yes, the top is removable. Yet beyond these carryover features that have come to define the Wrangler, this new Jeep is heavily updated in all the right ways.

Every square inch of the Wrangler has been reworked; from the new grille to the new taillights, the Wrangler JL is wholly different from the outgoing Wrangler JK. The four-door Sahara model wears a new bumper design with chrome around the fog lights, the new LED headlights, and those fender-mounted daytime running lights and turn signals. The front fender has that much-debated heat extractor. The two-door Rubicon comes with a vented hood, too. The doors now have a strong beltline under the windows, as well. Overall, the Jeep’s exterior is completely new, yet still instantly recognizable.

Continue reading for more on the 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL.

More Details on the Wrangler JL

Arguably one of the biggest exterior updates is the new windshield and sports bar design. The sports bar, sometimes called the roll bars, now has body-colored trim and solid A-pillar supports. Even with the doors, top, and windshield folded, the Wrangler JL still provides a full cage of rollover protection for its occupants. Jeep says the windshield is much easier to fold, too, something that was an hour-long job on the previous JK. Large grab handles on the A-pillar supports are a welcomed byproduct of the permanent roof supports.

Elsewhere on the red, two-door Rubicon model, we can see it comes with an updated steel front bumper, much like the one on the outgoing JK. It still features removable end caps and the hollow center section that’s ready for a winch. Jeep continues to partner with BFGoodrich for its tires on the Rubicon but has upgraded to the All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires over the older Mud Terrain T/A KM tires. The luxury-minded Sahara continues to get street-biased all-season tires from Bridgestone.

Unfortunately, Jeep is holding all other information till the Wrangler officially debuts on November 29, 2017, at the L.A. Auto Show. It will be there when Jeep announces the Wrangler’s updated 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, 2.0-liter Hurricane turbo-four, and the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine lineup, along with the eight-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmissions. Expect horsepower, torque, and fuel economy number to be ready by then. Likewise, pricing should be announced at L.A. since the 2018 Wrangler is expected to arrive in showrooms by mid-December. Don’t expect a huge bump in cost over the current JK.

Jeep will continue to build the current Wrangler JK for the first few months of 2018. Once production for the Wrangler JL is at full speed, JK production will end, and Jeep will retool that assembly line for the upcoming Wrangler pickup, rumored to be called the Scrambler. Jeep will be building the new Wrangler JL at its second Toledo, OH assembly plant near the Wrangler’s current birthplace.

So, what do you think? Did Jeep do a good job redesigning the Wrangler? Are you impressed or did you expect more? Let us know in the comments below.

References

Jeep Wrangler

Read our full speculative review on the 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL.

Read our full review on the 2017 Jeep Wrangler JK.