Jeep Wrangler Overland 2019 UK first drive

Jeep’s first important claim is to have made a bit more space inside, both in the second row of seats and the boot, to the improvement of the Wrangler's credentials as everyday family transport. And you can tell that those efforts have yielded some success, although they haven’t totally transformed something that continues to demand a compromise or two on convenience.

You slide into a raised driving position pretty typical of a fairly large modern SUV, but you have to lift your legs over a fairly obstructive sill, through narrower-than-average door apertures and into a footwell that's unexpectedly cramped and has no rest for your left foot. There’s good head room up front but less space for legs, knees and elbows than taller drivers might wish for – although not sufficiently little of the latter that you’d be inclined to roll down the driver’s side window, Land Rover Defender-style, just to buy yourself enough leverage at the steering wheel.

In the second row, head room is matchingly abundant and leg room good enough for all but the very tallest adults. Boot space, at 548 litres up to the windowline, bears comparison with that of almost any mid-sized SUV. The loadbay is square, straight-sided and, but for having a side-hinged tailgate rather than a hatchback, as accessible and useful as you’re likely to want.

The Wrangler’s interior ambience remains relatively functional, simple and plain. While some of the fixings and mouldings aren’t quite what you’d expect on a £40k family car, they’re nothing you couldn’t overlook if you were so minded. The Wrangler comes with a modern touchscreen infotainment system, electric windows all round, cruise control and climate control and is awash with USB ports and premium-branded speakers. So, in many respects, it’s appointed and equipped like any big luxury car.

Our first European drive of the JL Jeep Wrangler came courtesy of a Rubicon-spec frontiersman special that showed off some notable, if understandable, dynamic compromises to on-road ride composure, grip and handling. The less rugged Sahara and Overland grades of Wrangler, however, have different axles, suspension struts and axle drive ratios, as well as different wheel and tyre specifications.

If you like the idea and the character of the Wrangler, could you tolerate it, live with it happily and use it on a daily basis without what makes it work as a genuine off-roader becoming tiresome on the Tarmac? That’s seems the more telling question, and while it’s a pretty big and important 'if’, we reckon you could.

Even in this specification, the Wrangler is never likely to figure in a buying equation that involves the Audi Q5 or Volvo XC60 – and neither should it. But it could probably get in the mix between, say, a high-end Land Rover Discovery Sport and a Volkswagen Volkswagen Touareg. It doesn’t have the polish or breadth of ability on the road of either of those cars, but it’s close enough to both that, assuming you could use its remarkable off-road ability at least occasionally, you could consider the trade-off worthwhile.

Which means the Wrangler has raised itself from that distant corner of the SUV market where the Defender and cheaper versions of the Toyota Land Cruiser were once its only kindred spirits and joined the bigger SUV scene. It has grown – at least, it has a bit. Just enough, we'd say, assuming you happen to like it.

Jeep Wrangler 2.2 Multijet-II Overland 4dr specification

Where Cumbria, UK Price £48,365 On sale Now Engine 4cyls in line, 2143cc, turbocharged, diesel Power 197bhp at 3500rpm Torque 332lb ft at 2000rpm Gearbox 8-spd automatic Kerb weight 2044kg Top speed 112mph 0-62mph 9.6sec Fuel economy 29.7mpg (WLTP combined) CO2, tax band 202g/km (NEDC correlated) Rivals Toyota Land Cruiser, Land Rover Discovery Sport