Report: Don’t worry 4×4 fans, the 2017 Jeep Wrangler keeps its solid axles

In the off-roading and 4×4 world, the Wrangler is one of several poster children for that realm in the world of motoring. It’s to America, what the Land Rover Defender is to Britain, the Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen to Germany/Austria, and the Toyota Land Cruiser is to Japan.

That said, part of the Wrangler’s fame is its simple, body-on-frame two-part construction, which is a design that’s rarely found these days in a mucky sea of unibody crossovers. Even the worldly Range Rover has been a unibody crossover since 2003.

This construction is favored by 4×4 enthusiasts because it’s easier to fix and more durable. Additionally, because of the changing times leading to radical changes, with even Land Rover finally bringing the Defender to an end after virtually being unchanged for several decades, it almost seemed like the Jeep Wrangler was destined a similar and crazy change to a unibody. Now the rumor of that happening alone caused the off-roaders to bust out their pitchforks and torches to express outrage, and thankfully, Jeep listened.

AutomotiveNews reports the next-generation Wrangler should keep its body-onfram construction and solid axles, maintaining its off-road-friendly construction intact. However, the Wrangler still has a high chance of receiving an aluminum body. But if you were a fan of the collapsing windshield, that’ll be a thing of the past apparently.

Other rumors of a possible diesel version, using the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel’s 3.0L V6, are still lingering. Either way, times are changing, and so must the Wrangler as well.

– By: Chris Chin

Source: AutomotiveNews