Jeep turns 80 this year and has created a pair of anniversary-themed models to mark the occasion.
Both the iconic mud-plugging Wrangler and more city-centric Renegade receive the anniversary treatment, which comprises 80th Anniversary badges, black leather seats with tungsten stitching, high-gloss interior accents and a new design of alloy wheel.
There are no mechanical upgrades, but both cars come with plenty of equipment your average GI could only have dreamed of back in 1941 when the original Willys MB was launched, including an 8.4in touchscreen and a DAB radio and navigation system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The little Renegade features 18in wheels and full LED light pack, adaptive cruise control, a stack of safety kit, including traffic sign recognition and parking sensors at both ends.
Lift the Renegade's bonnet and you'll find one of two petrol engines: a three-cylinder 1.0-litre turbo unit that sends 118bhp through a six-speed manual transmission, or a beefier 1.3-litre four-cylinder motor that makes 148bhp and is mated to a dual-clutch transmission.
Whichever you go for, don’t plan to stray too far from the beaten track. The Renegade is exclusively available with front-wheel drive, meaning if you want an authentic Jeep experience, you’ll be wanting the Wrangler, the spiritual successor to the very first Jeep.
Like the Renegade, the Wrangler 80th gets 18in alloys, LED lights, Granite Crystal (or grey, in English) trim, unique anniversary badging. A rear parking camera, keyless entry and adaptive cruise control are also on the list of standard goodies.
The interior has leather seats, a leather-trimmed dashboard and kidney-jiggling 552W subwoofer for the audio system. It also comes with Jeep’s Uconnect system, which is already available on some of the brands other cars, including the Renegade, but makes its Wrangler debut on the 80th version. Uconnect brings SOS calling and live vehicle tracking, plus other features you can operate through the companion phone app.
The only engine available in the 80th Wrangler is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit, but with 268bhp, a standard eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive with two-speed transfer case, this Jeep definitely isn’t all mouth and no trousers.
There’s no word yet on how much the anniversary cars will cost but you’ll be able to order both from spring 2021.
Keyword: Jeep marks 80th birthday with anniversary-edition Wrangler and Renegade