Last September, Jeep announced it would no longer be possible to order a 3.6L Pentastar V6-powered Wrangler equipped with an automatic transmission. Only the 6-speed manual gearbox remained available with this engine.
This left buyers who preferred an automatic transmission with one engine choice: a turbocharged 4-cylinder.
Now the company is reversing course, in response to feedback from its customer base. The manufacturer's 8-speed auto transmission can once again be married to the Wrangler’s V6 engine
Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf stated that the brand was reintroducing the transmission “in response to enthusiastic requests”.
Note that the 3.6L V6 engine is still offered standard with the 6-speed manual gearbox for 2025. Americans who want the automatic will have to fork over $4,500 USD to get it, however.
On the Jeep Canada website, it’s not yet possible to build a 2025 model equipped with the V6 engine AND the automatic transmission, But it is possible on the U.S. site, according to Jeep; we expect Canada to follow suit.
The announcement comes shortly after the sudden departure of Stellantis' top boss, Carlos Tavares, who has been heavily criticized for some of the decisions made regarding the product range sold in North America.
One wonders whether the removal of the automatic transmission from the V6-powered Wrangler was one of them, and the all-electric Ram being scheduled to launch before the Ramcharger extended-range model was another.
Certainly, in the last few days, Stellantis has been changing course, which suggests that some of the decisions and directions that had been taken are being reversed. In the case of the Wrangler, having the option of two transmissions can only have a positive effect on the model's sales.
