Leaked document suggests end is near for Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392

3 months, 1 week ago - 20 January 2024, Autoblog
2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392
2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392
Stellantis is killing off its V8s one by one

The first (and very likely last) factory-built V8-powered Jeep Wrangler might not be long for this world. Although nothing is official, a leaked document suggests that the Rubicon 392 will soon sail into the sunset and that Jeep will send it off with a Final Edition-branded trim level.

Spotted by enthusiast forum JL Wranglers, the document was written by Jeep and sent to the top 50 stores in three regions. Their challenge is to sell more of a given model in January 2024 than in January 2023. The prize? One stock allocation for the Rubicon 392 Final Edition.

This is news; Jeep hasn't announced what the future holds for the Rubicon 392. It also hasn't confirmed whether the document is official, let alone detailed a Final Edition model. However, we've seen other desirable models built by Stellantis-owned brands get sent off with a Final Edition model in the past few months. That's how the Ram 1500 TRX bowed out, while Dodge's Challenger and Charger spawned a series of Final Edition-like limited-edition variants bundled under the Last Call umbrella. It stands to reason that Jeep would follow this path, too.

Our crystal ball tells us a 392 Final Edition would land as a limited-edition model. It would likely cost more than the standard model, and odds are it would look a little different as well. Jeep could add equipment and offer Final Edition-specific colors, wheels, and decals, for example.

The V8 will leave the Jeep range at the same time as the Final Edition; the Grand Cherokee, the Wagoneer, and the Grand Wagoneer aren't available with more than six cylinders. Chrysler and Dodge no longer sell V8s and Maserati built its last V8 in December of 2023, meaning Ram's trucks will be the last Stellantis products offered with eight cylinders... at least for now. Several aftermarket companies sell kits that make swapping a V8 into a Wrangler relatively straight-forward, however, so enthusiasts who want to build their own 392-like off-roader aren't out of luck.

As for the challenge, dealers in California, Denver, the Midwest, and the West have to sell more new Wranglers in January 2024 than in January 2023. Stores in the Northwest, the Southeast, the Southwest, and the Mid-Atlantic area need to beat January 2023's Grand Cherokee sales, while those in the Great Lakes will need to focus on both SUVs. Keep this in mind if you're in the market for a new Jeep.