Jeep Adds 3-L Diesel V-6 on 2020 Wrangler

Jeep just announced it will be offering a 3.0-liter diesel V-6 engine on its 2020 Wrangler’s powertrain lineup. The EcoDiesel powertrain, which will be available on four-door Unlimited models of the Wrangler, is expected to go on sale by the end of the year.

The turbodiesel V-6 reportedly makes 260 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. It will be paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission on the Sport, Rubicon, and Sahara models.

The engine, which is also used to power the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, proves to be a worthy alternative to the existing gas options for the Wrangler such as a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that makes 270 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque or the 3.6-liter V-6 that makes 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. And for the coming year, both gas options will be offered in either conventional or eTorque hybrid forms.

The diesel option will be the new standard for the Jeep Wrangler with an engine start-stop system, while the eight-speed automatic transmission will be set up to deal with the increased torque output of the engine. A four-wheel-drive setup is also standard on all Wrangler models as multiple transfer-case and differential configurations will be made available to consumers looking for off-road capability.

The Wrangler EcoDiesel’s EPA ratings are not yet released, but they are expected to be more efficient versus the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, which has 21 mpg combined, as well as the 3.6-liter V-6 that offers 20 mpg combined.

The addition of a diesel engine will likely increase the base price for the gas engines despite already being $4,995 more expensive than the Ram model. Jeep is expected to release more information about the new Wrangler EcoDiesel in a couple of months before it officially goes on sale at year-end.