Jeep to add Recon Edition with hybrid assist for the 2020 Wrangler Rubicon

Jeep has been busy spinning off several variants of the 2020 Wrangler, and now comes the latest version. According to JLWranglerForums, it’ll be a new Recon edition that is once again based on the Rubicon.

The big news is the move to make standard the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four cylinder with the eTorque mild hybrid assist system, which adds start/stop engine functionality and more power when accelerating from a stop. It’s rated at 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque and comes exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It compares favorably with the Wrangler’s standard 3.6-liter V6, which makes 285 hp and 260 lb-ft, though that engine can also be paired with a six-speed manual. 

Other features build on those found in the 2017 Recon version, including the red seat belts and same basic body/grille color scheme, but it also cherry-picks features from other Wrangler variants. New is LED lighting for head- and taillights, fog lamps and daytime running lamp accents, a Mopar bumper hoop, front and rear steel bumpers, and 17-inch machine-finished black wheels wearing 33-inch mud-terrain tires. There’s also a Mopar hinge-gate reinforcement adorned with the Recon badge and matte-black hood and side decals with red highlighting. And lastly, it gets a 97-mph top speed calibration.

Total cost for the package, according to JLWranglerForum’s information, is $2,755 over the base price of the Rubicon. That means a starting price of $42,545 for a two-door model or $46,045 with foor doors, both including destination.

The forum previously leaked an order guide for the 2020 Wrangler that showed Jeep was replacing the Moab Edition with a $1,695 Black & Tan Package, set apart most notably by its tan soft top. That version also got rid of the $1,000 charge to upgrade to the 2.0-liter four-cylinder, though it still costs $2,000 for the eight-speed transmission that’s mated to it, just as it does with the Recon edition.

Jeep has also brought back the Willys Edition, also based on the Sport S and starting at $35,235 including destination, and it showed us the Freedom edition, which adds military-themed accents. And if that’s not enough for you, there’s also the Wrangler EcoDiesel, shown in the photo above, whose 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 will deliver the most frugal fuel economy of the lineup — 29 mpg highway, 22 in the city and a combined 25 mph — along with a more than generous 442 pound-feet of torque. It’s available only on the four-door Wrangler Unlimited with an eight-speed automatic.