The last time you could buy a doors-off and roof-off Jeep with a V-8 engine was more than 40 years ago. Back then, you could get a CJ-7 Golden Eagle fitted with a 5.0-liter (304 cu.-in.) engine making 125 horsepower.
Now, the new 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is about to unleash 470 horsepower from a 6.4-liter V-8. Previewed by a concept vehicle that caused uncontrolled salivation amongst the Jeep faithful, the production version of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 excels both off-road and at the drag strip.
Jeep owners have been asking for a Wrangler with a V-8 engine for decades. Now, they’re getting one.
Available only in a 4-door Unlimited body style and with Rubicon specification, the new Wrangler Rubicon 392 is easy to identify. It wears the Jeep Gladiator Mojave’s hood in order to feed an active cold-air intake system, with “392” badges stuck to either side of the hood scoop. The Gladiator’s grille is used on this version of the Wrangler because its wider slats help to maximize engine cooling.
Nine paint colors are available, and the Wrangler Rubicon 392 has a standard body-color hardtop and body-color fender flares. Bronze accents and tow hooks help to distinguish this version of the Wrangler, along with bronze 17-inch beadlock-capable aluminum wheels wrapped in 33-inch all-terrain tires.
Standard equipment includes LED headlights, running lights, and taillights, as well as steel bumpers.
You can have the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 with any color of leather you’d like, as long as that color is Black with Bronze stitching. Both front seats have performance-oriented upper bolstering, and the driver faces a new leather-wrapped steering wheel with a thicker rim and aluminum paddle shifters. Jeep also redesigns the Rubicon 392’s instrumentation.
Standard equipment includes heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, remote engine starting, and remote proximity entry.
Jeep confirms that it will offer its Sky One-Touch power-operated top as an option for the Rubicon 392, as well as a new Dual Door Group that provides half doors for summer driving and full doors for winter driving. Additionally, a long list of Mopar-sourced Jeep Performance Parts will be available for the Rubicon 392.
The heart of the Rubicon 392 is its 6.4-liter V-8 engine. It makes 470 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque, and 75% of the peak torque is available just over idle engine speed to ensure excellent off-road performance.
An 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters directs power to all four wheels through a Selec-Trac 2-speed transfer case offering a 2.72 low-range gear ratio. This is a full-time four-wheel-drive system with 4WD Auto, 4WD High, 4WD Low, and Neutral settings. Yes, you can flat-tow this Jeep.
The Wrangler Rubicon 392 includes an Off-Road Plus driving mode that allows a driver to lock the Jeep’s rear axle at high speeds when using Selec-Trac’s 4WD High setting.
Normal, Performance, Sand, and Rock driving modes are available. The drivetrain utilizes Torque Reserve to facilitate brake-torqued launches, and A-Max Shifting strategy from the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
If you’re wondering how fast is the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, the company claims it runs from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, blasts down a quarter-mile dragstrip in 13 seconds, and it achieves a tire-limited top speed of 99 mph. Towing capacity measures 3,500 pounds.
Jeep says the Wrangler Rubicon 392 retains all of the standard Rubicon’s capabilities. It’s got Dana 44 solid front and rear axles, Tru-Lok electronic front and rear locking differentials, an electronic front-axle sway bar disconnect, low-speed downhill descent control with a 48:1 crawl ratio, and Selec-Speed off-road cruise control that works between 1 mph and 5 mph.
The Rubicon 392 sits an inch higher than a standard Rubicon, and boasts improved approach, breakover, and departure angles. Ground clearance measures 10.3 inches, and this Jeep can ford 32.5 inches of standing water. A Hydro-Guide air intake system channels 15 gallons of water per minute away from the engine.
Other changes specific to the Wrangler Rubicon 392 include a revised frame with repositioned engine mounts, strengthened front frame rails, upgraded front control arms, and cast iron steering knuckles. Jeep retunes the springs, and the company installs Fox high-performance aluminum monotube shocks as well as a stiffer rear sway bar. Upgraded brakes haul the off-roader down from speed, and an active dual-mode exhaust system with quad outlets emphasizes the V-8’s muscular sound.
If you’re concerned at all about fuel economy, know that the engine has cylinder deactivation and a 3.73 rear axle ratio, each contributing to improved highway efficiency.
To maximize safety, the Wrangler Rubicon 392 gets every advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) that Jeep offers for this SUV. The standard equipment list includes adaptive cruise control with full-stop capability, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, rear parking assistance sensors, and automatic high-beam headlights.
Jeep installs its top-shelf infotainment system in the Wrangler Rubicon 392. It includes an 8.4-inch touchscreen display, navigation, SiriusXM satellite radio, HD Radio, and Jeep Off-Road Pages technology. SiriusXM Guardian connected services provides access to a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system is standard.
Jeep is the source of information in this article. It was accurate as of November 17, 2020, but it may have changed since that date.
You are now subscribed to the J.D. Power Cars Newsletter.
