Skip to main content

Taller, more rugged Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Recon coming to a trail near you

With Jeep poised to introduce the next-generation Wrangler before the end of the year, the company is sending off the current model with new version named Recon that’s designed to make short work of rugged terrain.

The Recon is based on the Wrangler Rubicon, a variant that stands out as one of the most capable off-roaders on the market. Jeep has added a beefier front axle with strengthened tubes and heavy-duty end forgings, more durable differential covers on both ends, a half-inch suspension lift, and rock rails shortened to fit up to 35-inch tires.

Recommended Videos

Visually, the Recon receives 17-inch aluminum wheels wrapped by 32-inch BF Goodrich tires, a power dome hood with two vents, a black grille with gray inserts, and a winch-ready, steel front bumper. It’s available in seven factory colors including black, silver, and red.

The cabin is surprisingly nice for a car whose main mission is to get muddy. The passengers are treated to black leather upholstery with red contrast stitching, an eight-speaker sound system, automatic climate control, and satellite radio, as well as red accents on the door panels and the seat belts. A soft top comes standard; buyers who want the extra security and comfort of a plastic hard top need to pay extra.

There are no mechanical modifications to report. The Recon carries on with a stock, Rubicon-sourced 3.6-liter V6 engine tuned to deliver 285 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 260 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm. Transmission options are limited to a five-speed automatic and a six-speed manual. Off-road goodies include a Rock-Trac transfer case with a low gear, and 4.10 axles on both ends.

The 2017 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Recon will arrive in showrooms before the end of the month. Pricing starts at $39,145 for the standard two-door model, and $42,945 for the four-door Unlimited. A Jeep spokesman told Digital Trends that the Recon is a regular-production model that replaces the Rubicon Hard Rock Edition.

The next Wrangler won’t arrive until late this year, so more special variants could debut in the coming months to celebrate the end of the JK-series’ 11-year-long production run.

Updated 2/7/2017 by Ronan Glon: Added information about the Recon’s positioning in the Jeep lineup.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra forge a new path for EVs
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra.

Electric vehicles are inseparable from newness, whether it’s new tech, new designs, or new companies like Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla. But the Volkswagen Group’s new EV-only brand also relies heavily on the past.

Unveiled Thursday, the Scout Traveler electric SUV and Scout Terra electric pickup truck are modern interpretations of the classic International Harvester Scout. Manufactured from 1961 to 1980, the original Scout helped popularize the idea of the rugged, off-road-capable utility vehicle, setting the stage for modern SUVs.

Read more
Robotaxi aside, a $25,000 EV would be pointless, Tesla CEO says
Blue Tesla Model 3 Highland on the road

Enthusiasts expecting to one day put their hands on the steering wheel of a $25,000 Tesla EV may feel like they’ve been taken for a ride.
CEO Elon Musk has just put a serious damper on those expectations, saying that outside of the driverless Robotaxi recently unveiled by Tesla, a regular $25,000 model would be “pointless” and “silly.”
During a conference call with investors, Musk was asked to clarify whether such a model was in the works.
"Basically, having a regular $25K model is pointless,” Musk said. “It would be silly. It would be completely at odds with what we believe." Tesla, Musk continued, has “been very clear that the future is autonomous.”
On October 10, Tesla unveiled its much-awaited robotaxi, called the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The company also unveiled the Robovan, a much larger autonomous vehicle expected to carry people or goods.
The automaker said the Cybercab is expected to be produced in 2026 and cost $30,000. Musk, meanwhile, said that it would be a $25,000 car without specifying if that price tag included federal tax credits.
Tesla’s ambiguity about an affordable entry-level model has been going on for years. In 2020, Musk signaled that a $25,000 Tesla would arrive within three years. It was later reported that Tesla had ditched the idea, instead favoring the development of a robotaxi.
Language within Tesla’s latest financial report still hints that new affordable Tesla models are on the way. But Musk’s latest comments are putting a floor on just how affordable these would be. So far, Tesla’s Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive remains the company’s cheapest model, with a base price of $38,990.
Some rival EV makers, meanwhile, are entering the affordable space more aggressively in the U.S.
General Motors has already put out its Chevy Equinox EV at a price of $27,500, including federal tax credits. Volkswagen America says it plans to release an under-$35,000 EV in the U.S. by 2027.

Read more
Stellantis’ 2027 Dodge Charger Daytona might feature solid-state battery tech
Front three quarter view of the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona sedan.

The battle to use cheaper, more efficient, and safer EV batteries is heating up among automakers. At the heart of this battle, the development of solid-state battery technology, an alternative to highly flammable and costly lithium batteries, is garnering more and more attention.For proof, Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker, is betting on the technology for its next generation of electric vehicles. The Netherlands-based company announced that it will launch a demonstration fleet of Dodge Charger Daytona EVs that will feature solid-state battery tech made by U.S. startup Factorial.The demo fleet, expected to launch by 2026, will provide a real-world assessment of Factorial’s technology. Factorial has been partnering with Stellantis since 2021 and is also partnering with the likes of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai.Besides Dodge, the technology would eventually be deployed on the Stellantis STLA Large multi-energy platform, which includes brands such as Jeep, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati.Stellantis said that the integration of solid-state battery technology will yield “improved performance, longer driving ranges, and faster charging times in the coming years.”Factorial, meanwhile, says its technology provides higher energy density, reduced weight, improved performance, and the potential for further reduction in total vehicle cost over time. Stellantis, Daimler, and Hyundai aren’t the only ones to bet on solid-state battery tech. Toyota, the largest automaker in the world, has heavily invested in the technology. It also created a coalition with Nissan and Panasonic to boost its production in Japan. So far, making solid-state batteries has remained an expensive endeavor. But steps such as the Stellantis demo fleet and production at scale by the likes of Factorial are expected to improve manufacturing processes and costs over time.Other automakers, meanwhile, are working on ways to improve lithium batteries. Volkswagen, for one, is developing its own unified battery cell in several European plants as well as one plant in Ontario, Canada.

Read more