Jeep Out-Muscles the Ford Bronco with the 2021 Wrangler Rubicon
What first comes to mind when you think about the word “Jeep”? Strong? Rugged? Durable? Reliable? All would be pertinent.
But what about fast and high performance?
The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon may be all of the above and more. Jeep calls it the quickest, most powerful Wrangler ever.
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 features a big and powerful 6.4 liter V-8 engine that generates 470 horsepower and equals that in lb. feet of torque. Writers from Car & Driver magazine recently put the 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon through the paces and were able to reach 60 mph is just four seconds flat. That is a full half-second faster than Jeep itself claims on its website. The quarter mile was reached in 12.9 seconds at 104 mph and 110 mph in 15 seconds. All this from a vehicle known more for its strength than performance and known more for its practicality and versatility than its sleek style. Supercar-level performance? Far from it, but it is still very, very impressive.
The move to put the 470 mph engine in the Rubicon is, in essence, Jeep’s response to the Ford Bronco’s reintroduction. Jeep’s announcement just happened to come on the same day as Ford Bronco’s. But it is far from over between the two. Let’s get ready to rummmmmmble.
In an apparently related response to the Bronco, Jeep announced the available Xtreme Rubicon option package with oversized 35” tires and a 1.5” lift. This is shaping up to be quite the heavyweight battle.
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 weighs in at about 5250 lbs., which makes its times even more impressive. Its V-8 engine is the same one that can be found in the Dodge Challenger, the Challenger and the Durango. Jeep also has the same power plant in its Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.
In search of a legendary off-road performance from an iconic brand name? The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 delivers…and more. The Rubicon is outfitted with an 8 speed automatic transmission and comes with a price tag of roughly $75,000. Of course, there are a number of features, add-ons and options that can grow that price considerably.
Ford must have known Jeep would respond aggressively to the reintroduction of the Bronco. It is not quite sure whether they expected the Wrangler Rubicon to come out swinging this hard, however. It’s still very early but Jeep seems to be leading in points and horsepower. This battle, however, is not quite yet a TKO and more rounds are certainly ahead.