- Jeep’s Xtreme Recon package adds 35-inch tires on 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, 4.56:1 final-drive gears, and a 1.5-inch lift to the Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon.
- The package will be available later in the year and directly targets the Ford Bronco equipped with the Sasquatch package.
- When equipped with the six-speed manual transmission, the Wrangler Rubicon can now be optioned with 4.88:1 final-drives.
The paint hasn’t fully cured on the first Ford Broncos to roll off the production line, and Jeep has already answered the call of the Sasquatch, not by whacking two pieces of wood together, but with hardware to compete with the ‘Squanch’s Rubicon-threatening big off-road tires, short axle ratios, and uprated suspension.
When the Extreme Recon package hits the order sheet later this year, it will be reserved for four-door Wrangler Rubicons and the monstrous Rubicon 392. To compete with the Bronco’s Sasquatch package, the Xtreme Recon adds 35-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO2 dirt shredders mounted on beadlock-capable wheels and 4.56:1 gearing for the axles. A 1.5-inch suspension lift with retuned dampers will support the Wrangler Rubicon, while the 392 makes do with its standard 2.0-inch lift.
While the Bronco’s most extreme option has been pushed back until 2022, Jeep is already tooting its own horn with big off-road numbers to render the Sasquatch’s metrics time at the top short-lived. In the world of wheelin’, it’s all about the angles, and a Wrangler Rubicon fitted with the Xtreme Recon package increases all of them. The approach angle is now 47.4 degrees to the Bronco’s 43.2; the break-over measures 26.7 degrees, barely nudging the Ford’s 26.3; the departure angle is up to 40.7 degrees to the Sasquatch’s 37.0; and when it comes to wading through a pond, the Recon’s 33.6 inches bests the Bronco by a measly 0.1 inch. Naturally, the ground clearance swells and is now 12.9 inches, towering over the Bronco’s 11.5. The Rubicon 392 doesn’t fare as well, but its 470 horsepower should make up for its shortcomings.
The quest for King of the Trail doesn’t end there. For those who prefer to row their own gears, Rubicons equipped with the six-speed manual transmission can be optioned with 4:88.1 gearing that enables a crawl ratio of 100:1. Broncos equipped with the seven-speed manual creep around with just a 94.8:1 ratio.
The four-door Wrangler Rubicon starts at $44,295, about $30,000 less than the Rubicon 392. Pricing for the Xtreme Recon package should be revealed during the Chicago auto show in July.
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Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
