When MotorTrend drops an article about the Jeep Wrangler of 2029, you can bet I’m going to read it cover to cover. Their piece — “2029 Jeep Wrangler: What We Know” — gives us one of the clearest glimpses yet into where Stellantis wants to take Jeep’s crown jewel. The hints? New platform, electrification, and a strong possibility that gas engines will become rare or disappear entirely.
That raises the big question: how worried should we be?
What MotorTrend Says
MotorTrend reports that Jeep plans to move the Wrangler onto the STLA Frame platform — a versatile setup that supports internal combustion, hybrid, and fully electric drivetrains. Translation: the Wrangler of tomorrow could be a plug-in, a hybrid, or a full EV. While gas might stick around for a bit, it’s clear the company is steering hard toward electrification.
They also point out that Stellantis’ corporate roadmap calls for huge jumps in EV sales by 2030. That makes engines like the tried-and-true V6, the turbo four, and certainly the 392 V8 look like endangered species.
But — and this is important — MotorTrend emphasizes that Wrangler isn’t going soft. Jeep knows this model is its soul. Whatever the drivetrain, Wrangler will stay body-on-frame, solid-axle, and trail-rated.
We’ve Been Here Before
This isn’t the first time Wrangler loyalists have stared down the barrel of a potentially radical redesign. When Jeep began thinking about the successor to the JK — what we now know as the JL — there were some very real warning signs.
According to an interview on The ModernJeeper Show with Jeep engineer Tony Carvallo (link), the original JL design team flirted with some dangerous ideas: independent front suspension and boxy XJ-inspired styling. If that path had stuck, it would have killed what makes the Wrangler a Wrangler.
Thankfully, Carvallo and others inside Jeep stood up for heritage. They refocused the program on solid front and rear axles, open-air freedom, and the proportions that tie every Wrangler back to its WWII roots. In a way, the JL is proof that Jeep listens — at least sometimes — when the community and its own engineers demand authenticity.
That story matters now more than ever. Because here we are again, looking at a potential fork in the road.
The Good News
Like the JL fight, there’s reason for optimism. Jeep knows the Wrangler is its golden child. Mess it up, and they’re in serious trouble. MotorTrend makes it clear that while the powertrains might change, the capability DNA will stay intact.
We’ve already seen a glimpse of that future in the 4xe plug-in hybrid. It’s not just an emissions badge — it delivers serious torque for crawling. The silent, instant push of electric power can be a real advantage on technical trails.
So while electrification feels like a corporate mandate, it doesn’t have to mean the end of capability.
The Worries
That said, there’s plenty to worry about.
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The sound and feel. A Wrangler that hums instead of growls isn’t the same ritual we love. MotorTrend is clear: by 2029, the days of firing up a gas motor in a brand-new Wrangler could be gone.
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Range anxiety. Batteries are great on paper, but the Rubicon Trail doesn’t have charging stations. The backcountry is not friendly to EV infrastructure.
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The aftermarket shift. Our culture is built on modifying and improving mechanical rigs — exhausts, gears, cams, lifts. The aftermarket will adapt, but it’s a seismic shift from decades of tradition.
How Worried Should We Be?
Here’s my read:
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Mild worry: Gas Wranglers aren’t going to vanish overnight. The used market will be alive and well, and you’ll still see JKs and JLs on the trail for decades.
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Moderate worry: New Wranglers will feel different. The visceral, mechanical experience may give way to something quieter and more clinical. If that matters to you, now might be the time to grab the last of the gas rigs.
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Not panic-worthy (yet): Jeep has proven before — thanks to people like Carvallo — that they know what can’t be sacrificed. The seven-slot grille, the solid axles, the trail chops — those are staying.
The Trail Ahead
If anything, MotorTrend’s article should remind us that the Wrangler has always balanced on a knife’s edge between evolution and betrayal. We dodged a bullet once when the JL was saved from IFS and boxy styling. Now we’re facing a new battle: ensuring electrification doesn’t erase the heart of the Wrangler.
Wrangler is more than a drivetrain. It’s a spirit, a promise, and a gateway to freedom. If Jeep can keep that alive, we’ll adapt. And if they falter, history shows that the Jeep community — engineers, builders, and enthusiasts alike — will fight to pull it back on course.
Bottom line: MotorTrend gave us a warning shot. The Wrangler is changing, and maybe faster than some of us like. But if we learned anything from the JL story, it’s this: the Wrangler isn’t doomed until we let it be. So yes, be worried. But also be watchful, be vocal, and be ready to remind Jeep what really matters.
