A Few Good Jeeps

2020 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Limited Continues to Evolve

By Randi Payton  //  Decisive Media Network

Looks can be deceiving, especially when it comes to the 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara. Named after a desert, it remains true to its military design and rugged terrain capabilities. Redesigned for 2020, the Jeep Wrangler Sahara has been upgraded with modern on-road features, while maintaining its off-road heritage.

Decades of experience have gone into today’s Jeep since it was first introduced for the military during World War II. The Jeep SUV has continued to evolve to keep pace with the latest on- and off-road suspensions, engineering, luxury features and technology. The 2020 Jeep Wrangler models come in two and four doors, short- and long-wheel base, gas and diesel, and mild-hybrid versions. The 2020 four-door Unlimited Sahara is a stretched long-wheel-base version of Jeep Wrangler.

All Jeep Wranglers continue the open-air hardware capability that its loyal customers depend on, which includes removable doors, removable roof, fold-down windshield, roll cage, tricky access, high ground clearance and rear swing gate and hatch.

The 2020 Jeep Wrangler lineup comes with three powerplant options:  A 3.6-liter Pentastar six-cylinder (ESS or mild-hybrid) which delivers 285 horsepower with 260 lb-ft of torque; a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder (ESS or mild-hybrid) that generates 270 horsepower; and a 3.0-liter six-cylinder EcoDiesel eTorque that gets 260 horsepower with 442 lb-ft of hill and rock climbing torque. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder is optional on most models and eTorque assist can be added on the Sahara.

A new eight-speed automatic transmission is standard and is engineered to handle the increased torque output as well as producing smooth and a prompt throttle response. A six-speed manual transmission is also available. For the first time, Jeep Sahara drivers can now engage automatic full-time four-wheel-drive.

I tested the 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 3.0-liter V6 Turbo Diesel engine with ESS that was paired with an eight-speed transmission and heavy-duty suspension with gas shocks.

Additional features included LED lights, 7-inch display, SiriusXM traffic plus, 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, GPS navigation, Uconnect which connects smart phones to Apple CarPlay and Android auto, and leather-trimmed seats, knobs, and handles.

Safety features included electronic stability control, electronic roll mitigation, trailer-sway control, hill-start assist, emergency call assistance, rearview auto-dimming mirror, blind-spot and cross-path detection, rear park assist, adaptive cruise control with advanced stop braking, and collision warning.

The 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara starts at $38,645 MSRP. The test vehicle was $55,125 with all the bells and whistles added.