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2018 Jeep Wrangler (JL) 2-Door Spied, ZF 8-Speed Auto and Other Details Confirmed!

JAY

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Here's your first look at the exterior and interior of the two-door 2018 Jeep Wrangler (JL) prototype which confirms the new ZF 8-speed transmission and gives us a peek at clearer details of the front fascia not seen in previous sightings of the 4-door 2018 Wrangler Unlimited (which was also spotted again).

Exterior:

The mesh covering the Wrangler prototype's front fascia is slightly transparent for the first time. We can now see the JL Wrangler will retain the round headlights and familiar Jeep grille design.

Also confirmed are the long rumored new lighting elements on the JL Wrangler's front wheel arches which show light strips which glow orange when the turn signals are engaged. They also appear to contain thin, subtle LED strips for a more modern but low-key nod to current lighting conventions.

Other front fascia details:

The Wrangler prototypes show additional vinyl panels designed to cover door details. Thanks to a slip of the camouflage, we are able to see that the 2018 Jeep Wrangler will retain the exposed, exterior door hinge mechanisms of the current generation model. We also see similar door cut-lines that retain the rugged and iconic design cues Jeepers have come to love.

Interior:

We now have confirmation that the 2018 Jeep Wrangler will feature an 8-speed automatic, as these new shots of the transmission were also confirmed by an inside source to be accurate.

The new 8-speed transmission ZF Transmission will be shared across many of FCA's larger cars, trucks and SUVs which replaces the old 5-speed Mercedes unit that was added to the current Wrangler for 2012. These new photos clearly show that the Wrangler prototype is using the shifter from models like the Dodge Challenger and Charger which both have 8-speed ZF automatic transmissions.

The 8-speed was hooked to the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6, the same powertrain attached to the Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500. That pairing should yield massive fuel economy improvements versus the outgoing Wrangler, and may make the six-speed manual irrelevant to the point that it may not even be offered in the new Jeep.

Also visible is that the interior mule is clearly using the dash off the current Wrangler and the entire makeup and design is remarkably similar to that of the current JK Wrangler's interior. Whether the extreme degree of design carryover inside the 2018 Wrangler will see through to the production model remains to be seen, but you can expect the next-generation Wrangler to feature up-to-date FCA electronics and higher grade plastics while retaining its same ruggedness and iconic design.


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ModdedJK

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Modern looking shifter, but I would have preferred a more utility / manual shifter looking style.

At least the overall interior still looks rugged and purposeful and glad to see exposed door hinges stays.
 

Bill P

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The slight extra windshield rake is growing on me. Gives the car slightly more modern profile without bastardizing the overall iconic shape.
 

Jeep XXL

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Shifter is very similar to the auto in the Cherokee except with the button is on the side/bottom rather than the top.


2016JES050001_640_20.jpg


What would REALLY suck is if it doesn't have a physical gear lever and just lights up which gear it's while returning to the same position. That design is crap and needs to be kept out of the Wrangler. There's a reason some are being recalled.
 

JoKer

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That shifter looks out of place in a Wrangler IMO. It belongs in a Cherokee yes but don't turn it mainstream FCA!!
 

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CorpCow

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Modern looking shifter, but I would have preferred a more utility / manual shifter looking style.

At least the overall interior still looks rugged and purposeful and glad to see exposed door hinges stays.
That's still the current interior I believe. Unless they basically aren't going to change anything, but I thought I read here that the new interior was going to be significantly different.

In these pics I think only the shifter looks different to me.
 

Biker Dan

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Either FCA is trolling us, it's still a mule, or they are carrying over basically the entire car from the current gen with just a few nip tucks of the grille. Now I love the JK but have to wonder why bother?
 

Campbell

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Either FCA is trolling us, it's still a mule, or they are carrying over basically the entire car from the current gen with just a few nip tucks of the grille. Now I love the JK but have to wonder why bother?
This is what often happens early on in the testing prototype stages. The mules are a mishmash of new and old parts. This looks like the old interior still but with the new shifter attached to the new 8 speed.
 

Bill P

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Shifter is very similar to the auto in the Cherokee except with the button is on the side/bottom rather than the top.


2016JES050001_640_20.jpg


What would REALLY suck is if it doesn't have a physical gear lever and just lights up which gear it's while returning to the same position. That design is crap and needs to be kept out of the Wrangler. There's a reason some are being recalled.
The design will probably change now after all the bad press from the Star Trek actor's death. I wish manufacturers didn't all have to make every vehicle look the same both inside and out. Corporate design is fine but all these parts bin interiors really strip iconic vehicles like the Wrangler of its uniqueness. Makes it feel like a cheap afterthought.
 

Vegas_Sirk

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I bet they change the shifter ... they are just using the Charger one for testing purposes.

Also loving the LED Headlights, however the LED turn signals are going to ruin aftermarket fender options if they are molded into the grill. Hopefully they are just stuck in the fenders and can be removed with the fender.
 

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merog

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Looking at the picture of the Interior and the A post. To me it looks like the cage ties into the windshield frame differently than before. No folding windshield?
The old way:
Jeep Wrangler JL 2018 Jeep Wrangler (JL) 2-Door Spied, ZF 8-Speed Auto and Other Details Confirmed! {filename}

The new way:
Jeep Wrangler JL 2018 Jeep Wrangler (JL) 2-Door Spied, ZF 8-Speed Auto and Other Details Confirmed! {filename}
 
Last edited:

Mspeters

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What is the funny looking lever on the upper end of the A-pillar? guess it is for the top panel, but blocks vision.
 

Bill P

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Looking at the picture of the Interior and the A post. To me it looks like the cage ties into the windshield frame differently than before. No tilting windshield?
The old way:
Jeep Wrangler JL 2018 Jeep Wrangler (JL) 2-Door Spied, ZF 8-Speed Auto and Other Details Confirmed! {filename}

The new way:
Jeep Wrangler JL 2018 Jeep Wrangler (JL) 2-Door Spied, ZF 8-Speed Auto and Other Details Confirmed! {filename}

You mean no folding windshield?

Based on what I've read here, I think the JL Wrangler has been pretty much confirmed to be losing the folding windshield feature.
 

Doyles

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Good observation about the lack of folding windshield. Interesting also you can really see the pillar/windshield is a lot more slanted. It's more obvious from the inside than the exterior.
 

Aggie

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Why bother covering up the dash when it's not yet the new JL interior?

And at the very top of the pic you can make out a sliver of body color. Is that the new roof structure we're looking at?

Jeep Wrangler JL 2018 Jeep Wrangler (JL) 2-Door Spied, ZF 8-Speed Auto and Other Details Confirmed! {filename}
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