One of the best features on Jeep’s new Wrangler (besides the folding windshield and Dana 44’s, natch) is its array of roof options. Those who sign the note on a new JL will have more choice than ever before.
Ahead of the big reveal in L.A., there was plenty of speculation about the type of tops that will be available on the new Wrangler. The crew at off-road.com have parsed out the options list and confirmed there will be no fewer than four different roof options from which to choose at launch.
Read on to get all of the roof options for the new Wrangler JL.
READ MORE: 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL Revealed: A Modern Take on the Classic Off-Roader
Sunrider Folding Soft Top
Jeep has offered a soft top option on the Wrangler since approximately the beginning of time and, unsurprisingly, 2018 is no different. This manually folding roof will now have a sunroof feature, one which amounts to a lot more than Jeep engineers simply taking a buck knife to the top and slicing a rectangle shape in the cloth.
Providing a great open-air option, the soft top has been improved by adding two additional bows to its structure. This better manages the fabric and helps to quiet wind noise on the highway. The extra bows also allow for the partially-open position which Jeep bills as a sunroof.
This top is available on the Sport and Sport S two-door and with a bit of extra sound deadening (Jeep calls it ‘Premium’) on all the four-door trims. The soft top now features retainers that slide into a track for easier rear passenger window removal and relies on clock springs to help quickly raise and lower the top. Bonus info: a new half-door design will be available starting in 2019.
Freedom Hard Top
No, the Freedom Top doesn’t come equipped with an American flag and a brace of bald eagles, but it should.
Available on all models, this three-piece hardtop is black in color and offers yet another option for open-air driving. For 2018, the engineers at Jeep have crafted Freedom Panels which are lighter in construction so there is no need to bulk up at the gym before trying to remove your Jeep’s hard top.
A rethink of the top’s latches enable a quicker removal and installation of the unit compared to last year’s model. Jeep tosses in a storage bag for the Freedom panels as part of the deal.
Body-Color Hard Top
For the most part, this roof option mimics the Freedom Top listed above. Painted the same color as the Wrangler on which it is installed, it gives the Wrangler a very upscale feel, giving it a profile not unlike that of a Mercedes G-Wagen. Except, y’know, the Jeep is affordable.
Equipped with a rear defroster and wiper/washer, this top is optional on fancy-pants Sahara and Rubicon models.
Sky Power Top
This is the big one Jeep fans have been talking about since the JL started showing up on the lenses of spy cameras across the nation. Billed as a ‘one-touch’ power roof, it is an all-new option on the Wrangler’s order sheet.
Jeep calls it the ‘Sky One-Touch Power Top’, promising an easy-to-use unit intended to fit Wrangler’s promise of utility and adventure. They have a point. By allowing occupants to retract the full-length open canvas roof with a push of a button, the Wrangler suddenly plays in the same rarified air as costly convertibles. The rear quarter windows are removable for even more open-air freedom.
This option is undoubtedly aimed at the same demographic targeted by the set-it-and-forget-it 4×4 system available in the four-door Sahara, the power top pushes the Wrangler into the minds of folks who want a cool family ride but whose idea of off-roading is the gravel parking lot of a soccer field. It’ll be available in the second quarter of 2018.
All four-doors except the base model Sport can be opted with the Dual Top Group.