An alert individual on Reddit has posted what may be our best look to date at the upcoming Jeep Wrangler JL.
The kinda-sorta-blurry pic, seemingly taken surreptitiously at some sort of factory event, shows what is unmistakably a Wrangler, but with several different styling cues pointing to the new JL.
While the pic is at an angle, enough of the roof is shown to see that this four-door Unlimited model has a black soft top.
Sculpted body lines appear on the driver’s door between the side glass and door handles. Exposed door hinges stick out proudly like a spoilt child’s bottom lip, although they appear to be shorter and a bit more flush compared to the tuning-fork appearance of the JK’s door hinges. The door handles themselves look different as well, appearing to be devoid of the current model’s push-button operation.
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A new, black patch protrudes rearward from the front fender. It’s a good bet this is some sort of air-extraction vent, possibly for the extra underhood heat generated by the new turbo engine. If so, the vent would make for a great spotter’s guide to help identify models with the blown-four.
Vents also appear on the hood, along with what looks like a couple of rubber or plastic bumpstops for what we severely hope is a folding windshield. Further supporting the speculation that the JL will provide a bugs-in-yer-teeth experience is a cutline at the base of the windshield, a piece of glass at a more rakish angle than the current JK. Exposed screw heads are in a different place compared to the JK, too.
A round Trail Rated badge is proudly displayed on the side fender, as is the word ‘Jeep’, a departure from the JK which has the word ‘Wrangler’ in that location.
READ MORE: More 2018 Wrangler JL Details Come to Light in Spy Shot
Mechanical details are expected to include significant amounts of aluminum in the name of weight reduction, at least in the body panels. Jeep’s high strength steel frame isn;t going anywhere. A new ‘Hurricane’ 2.0-liter turbo four may join the Pentastar V6, along with a 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel and a hybrid powertrain showing up later in the product cycle. Thanks to previous spy shots, we know Jeep drivers will still be able to row-their-own with an available manual transmission. Logically, an automatic will be available as well.
We will see a production version of the new Jeep Wrangler JL at the 2017 LA Auto Show in November, with production ramping up just after the big reveal this Fall.
[Source: Reddit]