Why Does Jeep Make a Right-Hand Wrangler?
The Jeep Wrangler has long been a popular SUV in the United States. It is known for its 4×4 capability and rugged build, setting itself apart from vehicles that don’t embrace old-school utility. But, one of the most interesting features of the Wrangler is not its Rubicon trim or removable doors, it’s the fact that this vehicle can come new with the steering wheel on the wrong side. That’s right, you can buy a 2022 Jeep Wrangler with right-hand-drive configuration.
Does Jeep make a RHD Wrangler?
In 2022, according to AutoTrader, Jeep is still making a RHD Wrangler. This is despite the fact that in America, steering wheels in nearly every other new car are on the left side of the vehicle. The practice of driving on the right side of the road with a left-hand steering wheel dates back to the Colonies’ independence from Britain.
This setup started with horse trains and has stood the test of time as the United States transitioned to a country of cars, trucks, and SUVs. But, if you really need a new SUV with RHD, Jeep will sell it to you in form of the RHD Wrangler.
Why is Jeep still making a RHD Wrangler?
For most drivers, having the steering wheel on the right side would likely be an inconvenience. Both because it’s not where we are typically used to sitting while driving and because America’s infrastructure was not designed for RHD vehicles.
There are a select set of car buyers that do benefit from RHD, and those are mail carriers. Folks who deliver the mail in rural areas may need a vehicle like the Wrangler to handle their route. And although it has been decades since the last official USPS Jeep rolled off the production line, the current Grumman LLV mail truck is not suited for all postal service routes.
With RHD configuration, drivers can more easily reach a mailbox, allowing for quick and easy delivery. It also keeps mail carriers from having to step out into traffic as often, which makes the job that much safer. In these rural routes, the USPS contracts its mail delivery to independent drivers, which means vehicles are not provided.
How expensive is a right-hand Jeep?
The RHD configuration for the 2022 Wrangler is available only on the Unlimited version with the Sport trim. That means these Jeeps will have four doors instead of two. The MSRP of the vehicle is $46,940, which certainly is not cheap. So unless you really need RHD, the cons likely outweigh the pros when it comes to this Wrangler.
Considering the conditions that the mail carriers who need this vehicle work in, one feature that is likely to be appreciated is the available cold weather package. This equipment group adds things like heated seats as well as a heated steering wheel, and that will come in handy on cold mornings.
Only one engine option is offered to RHD Wranglers, and that is the 2.0-liter turbocharged variant. It comes mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and should be enough power for most needs. But the steering wheel layout? Maybe not so much.
