It’s hard to remember a time without the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, but the folks at Jeep do. So it’s little wonder they’ve unleashed two new Wrangler Rubicon 20th Anniversary limited editions at this year’s Chicago Auto Show, the 2023 Wrangler Rubicon 4xe and 2023 Wrangler Rubicon 392 alongside previous Rubicon models, a model that now accounts for a quarter of all Wrangler sales.
“It’s what happens when you listen to the most important customer base in the world which is the Jeep Wrangler customers, said Jim Morrison, senior vice president and head of Jeep brand North America. “And we listened. They keep driving us to more capable Wranglers.”
But that capability will cost you $69,585 for the 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe 20th Anniversary and $90,895 for the 2023 Wrangler Rubicon 392 20th Anniversary, plus a $1,795 destination charge.
Both models are available for order on Friday, and will be limited to 4,000 units. Here’s what they’ll offer.
Increased capability
Both models share a new rendition of Jeep’s iconic seven-slot grille, and a host of notable upgrades including an extra half-inch of lift, delivering 32 inches of water fording and 11.2 inches of ground clearance on 33-inch BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires and 17-by-7.5-inch wheels. Other exterior upgrades include triple hoop grille guard, winch-capable steel bumpers, heavy-duty steel rock sliders, a Gorilla glass windshield, and an integrated front off-road camera. Inside, the 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe 20th Anniversary is draped in red-and-black leather and is fitted with auxiliary switches and all-weather floor mats.
And, of course, there’s a plethora of 20th anniversary badging.
But they differ in performance, with the Wrangler Rubicon 4xe, Jeep’s plug-in hybrid. Now the most popular plug-in hybrid in America, it delivers 375 horsepower 470 pound-feet of torque, 21 miles of all-electric range and an EPA rating of 49 MPGe. Then there’s the 2023 Wrangler Rubicon 392 20th Anniversary, developing 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque that delivers a 4.5-second 0-60 mph time, and a 13-second quarter mile.
But the Wrangler Rubicon 392 20th Anniversary model gets the Xtreme Recon Package as standard equipment, which brings with it 35-inch BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires on 17-by-8-inch wheels, a 4.56 rear axle ratio, gate reinforcement, a jack spacer, tire relocation kit and an 83-piece tool kit with canvas bag.
More importantly, it also gets a half-inch suspension lift, bringing with it 34.5 inches of water fording and 11.6 inches of ground clearance. Like the 4xe, it’s also equipped with a triple hoop grille guard, winch-capable steel bumpers, heavy-duty steel rock sliders, a Gorilla glass windshield, an integrated front off-road camera, a red-and-black leather interior with auxiliary switches, all-weather floor mats and an 83-piece tool kit with canvas bag.
Going to extremes
Both 20th Anniversary model will be available with an optional Level II upfit by AEV. Limited to 150 units, it will add $21,983 to the 20th Anniversary Wrangler Rubicon 4xe and $20,135 to the 20th Anniversary Wrangler Rubicon 392, not including a $995 upfitter logistics charge.
What do you get for the extra scratch?
To start with, there are 37-inch BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires, a Warn winch, AEV 17-inch wheels, and a mesh of AEV equipment, including an AEV 2.5-inch Dual Sport RT suspension with Bilstein 5100 shocks, off-road lights, unique front and rear bumpers, front skid plate, tire carrier, off-road jack base, AEV steering damper, and performance wipers.
The upgrades transform the Wrangler into its most capable form ever, allowing for 14.2 inches of ground clearance, 37.1 inches water fording 50-degree approach angle, 33-degree breakover angle and a 43-degree departure angle.
A growing legacy
The Wrangler Rubicon’s legacy begins 20 years ago, when a small group of Jeep engineers known as the “Lunatic Fringe,” decided to design and engineer the most capable Wrangler ever built, and used their own time and credit cards to do it.
The new models cap a growing legacy for the Rubicon, one that started in 2003 with the 2003 Wrangler TJ, and continued with the 2007 Wrangler JK, and the 2018 Wrangler JL.
“The Wrangler itself really defines Jeep, you know, all the way back to 1941, our military roots,” Morrison said. “And it was the natural evolution of that vehicle that really drove us. So it’s Wrangler, that original Willys transitioned to that wrangler that you see today, still very recognizable as that original Willys. And that’s really important to our brand.”