Boat International – September 2019

boatinternational.com 092019

BOAT LIFE

andRovershavelongbeen

afamiliarsightintheworld’s

portsandmarinas,where

theyserveaswilling

workhorsesfortowingboatsandgeneral

load-lugging–andwe’vebeenwaiting

forasuitablyrobustreplacementsince

productionofthemuch-lovedDefender

endedmorethanthreeyearsago.

It’sacommonlyheldbeliefthatthere’s

nothingonthemarketthatcompares

totheoldDefenderintermsofits

simplicity,ruggedness,versatilityand

completelackofluxury.Buthaving

livedwiththelatestJeepWrangler

foracoupleofweeks,Ibegtodiffer.

Jeep’shistorydatesbackto 1940

whentheUSDepartmentofWarinvited

135 motormanufacturerstotender

designsforalight,all-terrain,four-

wheel-drivereconnaissancevehicle.

Butsotightwasthebriefandsoshort

thetimeframethatonlytwocompanies

submittedviablepitches,Willys-

OverlandandAmericanBantam.

Initially,AmericanBantamlandedthe

jobandcommissioneddesignerKarl

Probsttoconceiveandpresentasuitable

prototype.TheresultwastheBantam

ReconnaissanceCar,whichwentonto

becomeknownsimplyastheJeep.More

than630,000ofthemhadbeenbuiltby

thewar’send.

Immediatelyafterwards,production

startedontheCJ(CivilianJeep)model

andthemarquenamewasofficially

established.Itwasn’tuntil 1987 that

the Wrangler was launched, its look

deliberately referencing the Second

World War models.

In its latest iteration, the Wrangler is

still clearly related to the original – but

it goes a whole lot better and is hugely

more practical. The long wheelbase

version I tried served as the perfect

transport for a trip from the UK to the

Pyrenees, swallowing every bit of luggage

that was thrown at it and offering just

the right combination of mod cons and

reassuring simplicity.

Although sceptical about such a large

vehicle being powered by an engine of

just two litres capacity, the “Hellayella”

beast proved capable of an effortless

L

Jeep goes on

the attack

Simon de Burton has found his new favourite

no-nonsense 4x4 in the latest Wrangler

Bang & Olufsen and

Saint Laurent have

collaborated on two

limited-edition speakers

marrying Danish design

and French flair. The

Beoplay A9 (below) and

A1 portable are black

with a Saint Laurent

signature and can be

found exclusively at

saintlaurentrive

droite.com

French look,

Scandi sound

Engine 2.0-litre, four-cylinder

turbocharged petrol (2.2-litre

diesel model also available)

Power 272hp

Torque 400Nm

Gearbox Eight-speed auto

Towing capacity 2,495kg (braked)

Water fording depth 760mm

Fuel consumption 12 litres to

8.3 litres per 100km

Price From £48,365

SPECS

JEEP WRANGLER

RUBICON FOUR-DOOR

128km/h cruise, and its four-wheel-

drive system made light of some

seriously steep mountain tracks.

The most popular feature, however,

proved to be the Wrangler’s full

convertibility. All four doors lift off

in a trice, with the front roof panel

unclipping in seconds and the rear

section being retained by only a

handful of bolts, making the car

suitable for hot and cold climes.

So, do I rate the Wrangler? Put

it this way: there are currently two

Defenders in my garage. But they’ll

soon be making way for a single Jeep.

jeep.com

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