WranglerUnlimitedSport_Ext_10

And finally, the grand-daddy Jeep comes to town. The current-gen Jeep Wrangler has been around in world markets since 2007, but today it's a case of better late than never, as the JK officially launches in Malaysia in Unlimited Sport, Unlimited Sahara and Rubicon variants.

With exposed rivets, door hinges and bonnet clasps, along with protruding bumpers and wheel arches, the rugged, go-anywhere vehicles are instantly recognisable. The Unlimited variants are five-door, 2,947 mm wheelbase vehicles. They come with Command-Trac 4WD, a Dana 44 heavy-duty rear axle, a Dana front axle and a 3.21 axle ratio.

The differentiation is in the trim levels - Sport is the first rung, giving you 16-inch slot-spoke steel wheels and 245/75 tyres, a black removable three-piece hard top (called the Freedom Top), black fender flares, a Uconnect 130 radio with CD, MP3 and six speakers (including a subwoofer in the boot) and fabric upholstery.

Moving up to the Sahara nets you side steps, 18-inch Sparkle Silver wheels wrapped in 255/70 rubber, body-coloured fender flares and Freedom Top, a 6.5-inch Uconnect touch-screen with DVD, Alpine Premium sound piped through nine speakers, plus 'Sahara'-embroidered leather upholstery.

The range-topping Wrangler is the Rubicon, which is offered here in a sole three-door, 2,268 mm wheelbase form. It gets Tru-Lok electronically-locking front and rear differentials, Rock-Trac 4WD, Dana 44 heavy-duty front and rear axles, a front sway bar disconnect system, heavy-duty suspension and a 4.1 axle ratio.

Riding on 17-inch aluminium grey wheels shod in 245/75 rubber, the Rubicon also has the Sahara's touch-screen, Alpine Premium sound system and nine speakers. It also gets 'Rubicon'-embroidered leather upholstery.

All Wranglers get a 3.6 litre Pentastar VVT V6 that sends 284 hp at 6,350 rpm and 347 Nm of torque at 4,300 rpm to all four wheels through a five-speed auto. Steering is of the power-assisted recirculating ball type.

Standard across the range are a leather-wrapped steering wheel, auto single-zone air-con, ESC, Hill Start Assist and Electronic Roll Mitigation. The Unlimited Sport gets two airbags; the Unlimited Sahara and Rubicon have four.

Fully-imported (CBU) from the US, the Jeep Wrangler is priced at RM288,889 for the Unlimited Sport, RM328,889 for the Unlimited Safari and RM338,889 for the Rubicon. All prices are OTR without insurance, and they include a five-year/150,000 km warranty. See full specifications on CarBase.my.

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (3-door)

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport