2016 is a sad year. The deaths of so many celebrities and musicians, one of the most intense presidential debates in history, and it’s also when Jeep announced its JK-series Wrangler will be no more. The release of the new Wrangler, sometime in late 2017 or early 2018, will mark the end of the JK platform. Instead, the new Wrangler model will sit atop a new chassis and frame, which signifies another pair of letters that die-hard JK-series Wrangler fans will bash on. How is Jeep bidding farewell to perhaps its most famous “generation” of vehicle?
By (eventually) releasing a few, limited special edition models over the course of the next year, of course. The Sport Freedom and Sahara Winter models will be coming sometime this month, and there will be even more models released down the road. That way, Jeep ensures its JK-series goes out with the BANG it deserves. Also, the brand can keep Wrangler sales strong right up until the new model is released.
Sport Freedom
The Sport Freedom special edition Wrangler won’t be geared towards anything in particular. It’s going to be a purely aesthetic model, but it sounds like it will look really good.
The first thing you’ll notice is all the decals this Jeep is decked out with, starting with the “Freedom star” design plastered on the hood and rear fenders. On the driver’s side front fender, an American flag decal will make its home. Perhaps the most eye-catching and noticeable features are the big 18-inch granite crystal wheels.
There will no doubt be plenty of other exclusive badging as well.
Sahara Winter
The Sahara Winter special edition is the off-road focused model, and it certainly looks the part. Rock rails, standard hard top, and full LED lighting to illuminate the off-road trails at night will be present. It’s going to have exclusive badging and decals as well, and even comes with some technological goodies, like remote-start.
Even More Special Editions
While we still don’t know too much about the Sport Freedom and Sahara Winter special edition models, it’s still exciting stuff.
Like I said above, what’s even more exciting is the fact that Jeep will release plenty of other special edition models over the course of 2017. A couple of the fan-favorite edition Wranglers are getting restyled special editions. Like the Sport Big Bear edition that will be coming, and a Rubicon Recon edition. There will also be a couple more Saharas making their debut — the Chief and Smoky Mountain editions. For now, details on these models remain hard to come by, but I’m sure more information will be surfacing soon.
So, if you absolutely can’t wait to get your hands on the new Wrangler model — but don’t want a 2016 one — then these special editions might be your happy middle ground. After all, each one of these special edition Wranglers will feature unique styling and badging and are limited edition. Since only so many will be released to the market, these will prove even more coveted in the Jeep community years down the road.
