SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.

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2009 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 2.8 CRD Unlimited

The only four door convertible available in SA

In Marketing, somewhere in between “the customer is Queen, so give her what she wants,” and “six ways to close the deal,” lies “sell the sizzle, not the steak.”  What this piece of cracker barrel philosophy means is don’t sell pension plans, sell the rewards of well-funded retirement.

The sizzle of a Jeep is its history and its reputation for being a no-frills personnel carrier capable of climbing every mountain and fulfilling every offroader’s dreams.  It is widely accepted as being one of the top two light (“light” excludes military vehicles with or without crawler tracks) off-road people movers available.  The other one is British and the respective fan clubs delight in sniping at each other at every opportunity. 

Be all that as it may.  The “steak” of the Jeep on test, a metallic military-green four door Wrangler Sahara Unlimited, is pretty straightforward.

Built on the long-wheelbase (“unlimited”) version of the JK platform, it is 523 mm longer in order to accommodate two more doors and more rear seat space and load area. It is available in three trim levels – X (Highsport in SA), Sahara and Rubicon. 

Now classified as a mid-size SUV, the Unlimited is punted as the “only four door convertible available in SA,” courtesy of the fiberglass roof, removable in three sections and the fabric convertible top that remains rolled up in the rear compartment until called into action.

South African Wranglers are available with a choice of two engines, a 3,8 litre 12 valve V6 petrol and the 2,8 litre 16 valve inline four cylinder direct injection common rail diesel tested. Gearboxes offered are a manual 6-speed overdrive and two automatics – the model 42RLE 4-speed overdrive with variable line pressure on the lower spec units and the 545RFE 5-speeder available only on the Rubicon versions.

Axles on the lower specification models are Dana 30 in front and Dana 44 at the back. The Rubicon benefits from Dana 44s at both ends, although the factory stresses that both axle models have been upgraded with larger pinion shafts, pinion bearings and axle joints for increased durability compared with their predecessors. Additionally, Rubicon models feature an electronically disconnecting front stabiliser bar. Known as Active Sway Bar System (ASBS), this gives you an extra 28% of wheel travel for the really tricky bits.

Common to all are ground clearance of 253 mm under the rear axle (258 mm in front), approach and departure angles of 37,7 and 31,3 degrees respectively and a breakover angle of 20,3 degrees. These figures are quoted as “depending on model.” Skid plates protect fuel tank, transfer case and automatic transmission oil pans.

The Wrangler Unlimited has more refined on-road manners thanks to its 2 947 mm wheelbase, a new 100% stiffer frame, a 50% stiffer body and refined five-link coil suspension.  Further, new suspension and steering geometry provides improved ride and handling characteristics, while improved sound deadening reduces cabin noise by more than 20%.  I can testify to the reduction in cabin noise, as the first real clue I had to the diesel lump up front, was the lower numbers posted on the rev counter.

Body-wise, the Wrangler is traditional Jeep with its familiar flat planes, circular headlamps, the famous 7 slot grille, exposed door hinges (all doors are removable, as are the running boards) and the flat (fold down) windscreen.  Three removable fibreglass roof panels enable open-air travel in your choice of configuration and with these off, the ragtop with its own sunroof can be deployed. The front bumper is a bulky plastic device that undoubtedly looks good to fans, but provides ammunition for the Brit brigade. One took delight in pointing out that reversing in deep soft sand could pose a threat, as the bumper’s lower trailing edge is almost scoop-like. When I have studied one of “theirs” more closely, I will report back on this aspect.

An item of some concern to me was that, with the fiberglass roof in place, rearward vision is restricted by the narrow rear window, made worse by the intrusion of the upper part of the door-mounted spare wheel and the three rear seat head restraints.  Others include the rear seat itself: hard, flat, too upright and too short behind the knees, and the somewhat “old technology” automatic transmission and air conditioning controls – no Tiptronic option on the somewhat sluggish auto ‘box, for example, and a fully manual aircon.  Having driven other Chrysler products recently, I expect better from them at this price level.

Reservations aside, the Wrangler is made for archetypical off-road fans who appreciate solid simplicity and have little patience with sissified fancy bits. For these, the Wrangler Sahara Unlimited is everything it should be. It is also less expensive than many of its stable mates and all but the lowliest entry-level British competitor.

The numbers
Four cylinder in line liquid cooled 2 777 cc
130 kW @ 3 800 rpm
410 Nm @ 2 000 to 2 600 rpm
Length 4 751 mm
Width 1 877 mm
Height 1 800 mm
Wheelbase 2 947 mm
Track, front and rear, 1 572 mm
Mass 1 969 kg
Max payload 454 kg
Max towing capacity 3 500 kg
Fuel: Diesel, 79,5 litres
Service Intervals 20 00 km
Warranty and Maintenance Plan 3 years/100 000 km
Price R 309 900

Performance:
0 – 100 km/h 10,2 seconds
Max. speed 167 km/h
Fuel Index 11,9 l/100 km

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves..

What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to in order to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and visit to kick back and relax.  So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!

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