After the important agreement with the Arma dei Carabinieri, which saw the delivery of a flaming Jeep Wrangler 2.8 CRD for the control of the beaches in the Romagna section between Cattolica and Bellaria, the now Italian American Jeep seems close to covering the livery of the 'Army, even if there are no confirmations on the merits.
If on the one hand the passage on the Adriatic shoreline of the seventh series of the historic Willys MB, and the fourth series of Wrangler, is observed by tourists perhaps lying on the couch as a closeness of institutions, on the other in addition to advertising the FCA product could result as a real beginning of rapprochement between Jeep Wrangler and military institutions.
Already in the 2013 the weekly L'Espresso had published some news about the entry of the Italian American into the armed forces, citing the cost of 631 thousand euros for only six copies appropriately modified and strengthened. With due consideration, given the economic emergencies of the country, the same military leaders demonstrated skepticism about the real need to replace the well 2700 Land Rover, which used mainly at home would not have been subject to the use of protected vehicles intended for missions outside the area .
The dilemma: Land Rover, Renegade or Wrangler?
If the Jeep Renegade SUV came to the satisfaction of insiders in the police, the recruitment in the meritorious Wrangler could also be the cue to monitor under various aspects including operating costs, this pure off-road; nevertheless a future military diffusion could concern only a part of the departments and this is for a coherent optimization of the costs, both for the still discreet conditions of the most recent AR90.
From the top of the defense does not leak anything about it even if someone claims to have seen some circulating specimen and perhaps on trial: it would be a long wheelbase version with shiny green livery. The Wrangler 2018, for its greater versatility would fit well both urban and extreme use, thanks also to the front release system - from the driver's seat - of the anti-roll bar during the steps off-road more challenging and probably also present in military versions.
If the acronyms AR, reconnaissance cars remained unchanged, considering the role of use of the means of course, we could easily hazard with a little imagination, that the full name could be AR 20, where twenty would indicate the new millennium or the year of entry into service?
We know the Jeep WRANGLER 2.8 CRD
That it is a pure and exceptional 4X4 worthy to be called off-road - like the Land of the rest - has already been repeated several times in the press and the passing of years since its debut in 1941 has only improved the project by increasing its quality.
Its engine is a longitudinal VM A 428, a 4 cylinder turbodiesel common rail 16 valves from a 2776 cc upgraded to 200 horses and can develop the 500 Newton meters. The power supply and timing parameters are newly developed and have piezoelectric injectors and an EGR Exhaust Gas Recirculation system that reduces emissions by cataloging 5 euro.
The news
We have underlined its versatility also as a function of the introduction of a third centrally located lamella differential. This system, like all types on demand, present on the SUV, independently transfers the torque to the front axle when there are losses of grip on the rear. A novelty for a machine made in the USA, which until before did not know a middle way "gradual" in the allocation of torque.
The conductor, however, can choose with a special lever to block the traction to 50% between the two axles and at this point our Wrangler returns to be the unstoppable 4X4 known in history.
It has a modern supporting frame, light but very robust and named body-on-frame with a steel structure with a rectangular cross-section, however, for military use, modified solutions could be envisaged which do not penalize too much the power.
It has two differentials and as we have said, a TRU-LOK central differential / diverter can also be locked transversally on the two axes; can be equipped with a manual gearbox to 6 gears plus six reduced or with a modern ZF automatic to 8 gears, even if on the 2.8 engine it is not clear if it will adopt the 5 gears ZF. Thanks to the epicycle, even with the hydraulic automatic, all the gears will have a reduction that will allow to overcome slopes slightly higher than 45 °, the 100%.
Reaches the 175 Km / h and the road performances seem bright thanks to the adoption of new gas suspensions and Panhard bar to 5 points on the two rigid bridges, front and rear and springs with detachable stabilizing bar at the front. Performance not comparable to those of the Land.
The version of the weapon should be equipped with a trim kit raised from 2 "by" Fox Performance "
There is also a long list of safety devices like ESP to 3 mode, Hill descent Control, calibrated ABS or TPM for tire pressure monitoring.
The doors can be removed and the windscreen lowered, while the caps on the bottom allow the water to be emptied in the event of flooding after the fords that it can cross in the basic version pushing up to a meter without air intakes.
Its mass on the ground is little more than 1.8 tons and is only long 4.23 meters in the short version at 4 seats while 4.78 are in the long wheelbase version where the seats would pass to 5, with the possibility of setting up two more seats in the compartment rear. Its dimensions with much more substantial restyling compared to the English Land Rover, have increased overall, moving to 1.887 width meters to the benefit of road stability.
Its dashboard is linear as per American tradition and, in the highly digitized civil version, nothing is missing and also the space on board is appreciable as well as the soundproofing and the very efficient air conditioning. In the Roll bars, lights and part of the instrumentation are fixed, including the loudspeakers, and this allows to remove the doors.
Its consumption is slightly higher than 10 km / l if you take full advantage of it while its finishes have been criticized for the simplicity and perhaps for the quality but on the other hand we should remember that we are dealing with a pure its kind and its best appearance offers it without betraying it in the 4x4. Excellent angles with the front of well 38.4 °, the central 25.1 ° and the output 31.3 °, increasing values processing the structure that is already surprisingly in the basic version of a height of well 25, 4 cm.
Curiosity
The version with 2.2 turbodiesel engine with 200 horses, adopts the same base of the Giulia but with different parameters and delivery and produced in the USA.
But how is the fleet installed?
The alienations and the misuse of the vehicles concern, and it is not a secret a precise percentage of the vehicles in force in the departments of the FF.AA. These vehicles, heavy or protected as they are, often remain stationary due to electronic and mechanical problems, and sometimes it is the lack of funds that does not allow the cost of restoration.
However, an article published in the 2013 on the "Affariitaliani.it" newspaper, which stated an unclear attitude regarding the n.74 law of the 1996, which provided for the free passage of the assets of the FF.AA. to associations and civil protection. In fact, the newspaper article put the crux of the matter on the fact that the media would be restored at the expense of the administration and subsequently viewed at competitive costs only to defense employees and consultants.
Considering the technical qualities and characteristics of the most common Land Rover and VM90, it is difficult to identify problems that could interrupt their use with the clear agreement that they have been used correctly ... In fact, the design of these vehicles is designed to withstand a few years in all conditions.
Jeep Wrangler, the best
To say it is the specialists of the 4x4 where cars like the Mercedes G, the Niva rather than the Toyota or Suzuki seem to collect more victories not only in the Twist passages but in the actual trial.
A few years ago in the Balearic Islands, considering the affordable costs, I rented a Wrangler, the previous series of yellow but not to go to the beach, but to go up a dry river. My friends opted for the sea while I started the mission myself. It was a basic version with moderately tattered tires, however I came to the top with great satisfaction for the undisputed qualities of this car that I remember was still fitted with the American 2.5 petrol engine. I met some wild goats watching me in amazement and returning to the valley I gave a ride to a couple of English who were returning from trekking and they too, I must say, seemed satisfied with the qualities of Wrangler. The only drawback, probably due to the tires a bit 'old and dry, I found it going through a roundabout at low speed and perhaps with a little' sand on the asphalt; here the rear end was suddenly starting to oversteer, immediately resumed but certainly not a pleasant experience.
Concluding
It makes a certain effect to describe as Italian a car clearly with DNA Yankee, but today the new structure of FCA seems to be metabolized and to be honest, perhaps it is a source of pride to have Jeep in the Italian automotive brand.
It remains, at least to me, a certain curiosity in weighing which solution of 4xXUMUM we would have arrived Italians after the success of Fiat Campagnola.
Jeep Wrangler is therefore the best choice, cost permitting for a pure but versatile 4X4 worthy of the name.
(photo: web)
