Pumped-and-muscled-up Jeep Wrangler 392 touches down

With the announcement made earlier this week, Jeep has officially unveiled the production version of the first ever V8-powered Wrangler, the new 392 based on the four-door Unlimited in top-spec Rubicon guise.

Unsurprisingly little changed from the concept shown four months ago, the 392 takes its name from its engine size in cubic inches, which amounts to 6.4-litres with outputs of 350kW/637Nm. Essentially the same unit used in the Grand Cherokee SRT, the free-breathing Hemi is paired to a reworked eight-speed automatic gearbox with drive going to all four wheels via the Selec-Trac full-time four-wheel-drive system with a low range transfer case. According to Jeep, the 392 will dispatch the 0-60 mph (96 km/h) sprint in 4.5 seconds and the quarter mile in thirteen seconds. No top speed figure was revealed.

As indicated by the concept, somewhat cheekily launched at the same time as the new Ford Bronco, which incidentally won’t have a V8 option, the 392 comes with a raft of changes inside and out in order to distinguish it from the standard Rubicon. Outwardly, these include a 51 mm Mopar lift-kit and custom 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 33-inch all-terrain rubber which contribute to the ground clearance of 337 mm, with further additions being a functional bonnet scoop and revised grille, bronze detailing, quad exhaust outlets, a steel underfloor guard, a Warn winch, rock sliders and a 40 mm raised bonnet.

Boasting a wading depth of 825 mm, the changes underneath the 392’s muscle-up skin, apart from those mentioned, include aluminium Fox Racing mono-tube shock absorber, front and rear Dana 44 heavy-duty axles, upgraded brakes, recalibrated ratios for the transfer case, an Off-Road Plus mode with two settings; Sand and Rock, upgraded frame rails, the Tru-Lok electronically locking differential, active exhaust with two modes and an upgraded air intake system with a series of drain plugs and tri ducting designed to avoid the engine drowning when a bow wave goes over the bonnet. The rated approach and departure angles have been changed from the concept with ratings of 44.5 degrees and 37.5 degrees respectively, while the breakover angle stands at 22.6 degrees.

As for the interior, the 392 comes with leather upholstery as standard, contrasted by bronze stitching, as well as model specific readouts within the 8.4-inch UConnect touchscreen infotainment system, a Wrangler first leather wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters and a separate gauge cluster for the engine. In addition, a slew of Mopar accessories ranging from LED bars to a more hardcore Dana 44 axle can be specified.

Available in nine colours; Black, Bright White, Firecracker Red, Billet Silver Metallic, Granite Crystal Metallic, Sting-Grey Metallic, Snazzberry Metallic, Sarge Green Metallic and Punk ‘n Metallic, the Wrangler 392 will be made alongside the standard model at Jeep’s Toledo Plant in Ohio with pricing still to be confirmed. Sales are set to start in the first quarter of next year with availability in South Africa unlikely.

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