Set to hit our shores next month, Jeep's most iconic off-roader, the Wrangler looks to follow in the footsteps of the Wranglers that have come before it, and fly the FCA's off-roading flag proudly.
A couple of months ago, Fiat Chrysler New Zealand confirmed a starting price of $67,990 for the base model, through to 92,990 for the top spec Rubicon. While these look like extremely capable SUVs, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has given the Wrangler the same one-star rating as the European NCAP testers did.
“The safety performance of the Wrangler is limited, falling well shy of the expected standard in three of the four key areas of assessment,” James Goodwin, ANCAP Chief Executive said.
“Chest protection was a concern for the driver and rear passenger in each of the frontal crash tests; a number of penalties were applied for structural deformation and potential leg injury hazards; and base variants lack autonomous emergency braking altogether.”
Following in the footsteps of the European tests, a score of 80 per cent for child occupant protection was the highest score that ANCAP gave the Wrangler. It scored 50 per cent in adult occupant protection, 49 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 32 per cent for safety assist.
“The passenger compartment of the Jeep Wrangler did not retain its structural integrity in the frontal offset test,” ANCAP’s official report states.
“Connection between the A-pillar and the cross fascia beam was compromised, as was the footwell structure, and penalties were applied.
“Protection of the chest was weak for the driver and adequate for the front passenger. Structures in the dashboard were a potential source of injury for both the driver and passenger.
“An autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system is available on some variants, however, this system is not standard equipment and was not tested.”
The total adult occupant protection score is based on five different tests that are scored out of eight.
While the Wrangler scored a perfect 8/8 in the side impact tests, a dismal 1.67 was given for the whiplash test.
In the frontal offset test, it scored a 3.89, and in the full-width frontal ANCAP test it was given a 5.72. No points were given for the oblique pole test.
Jeep's US office replied to this score almost immediately with a strongly worded response:
“The new Jeep Wrangler – an award-winning vehicle with unmatched capability and worldwide appeal – meets or exceeds federal safety requirements in every market in which it is sold,” it said.
“Further, the Jeep Wrangler is engineered to deliver superior performance and unique driving experiences under the most demanding conditions. Testing protocols that apply exclusively to urban scenarios may not align with such a vehicle.”