2018 Jeep Wrangler fails European crash test
European crash testers gave the 2018 Jeep Wrangler a scathing one-star rating Wednesday. Europe’s New Car Assessment Program said the off-roader earned the poor rating due in part to its lack of modern active safety equipment.
The new Jeep Wrangler didn’t offer automatic emergency braking on 2018 versions.
The rating comes even after 2018 Wrangler aced the side-impact crash tests, however. A Fiat Chrysler Automobiles spokesperson told The Drive that the Wrangler is safe enough to be sold around the world, and that the “JL got a perfect score on one of the side-impact tests—how many vehicles with removable doors can claim that?”
Michiel van Ratingen, secretary general of Euro NCAP, said it’s “disappointing” to see a new car on sale without active safety features such as automatic emergency braking and active lane control.
DON’T MISS: Read our 2018 Jeep Wrangler review
“It is high time we saw a product from the Fiat Chrysler group offering safety to rival its competitors,” he added.
The 2019 Jeep Wrangler will add automatic emergency braking on Sahara and Rubicon trim levels beginning early next year, according to FCA.
If the Wrangler tested featured automatic emergency braking, it’s likely the SUV would have received a much higher rating instead of its measly one-star performance. Overall, the SUV captured 50 percent of the maximum points available in the crash test.
Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has tested the new Wrangler in the U.S.