Jeep unveils Wrangler Rubicon 20th Anniversary editions available with 37-inch tires

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Jeep has been minting Rubicons for two decades now. And as is usually the case when a nameplate reaches a milestone anniversary, its maker is marking the occasion with a special edition. 

The 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe 20th Anniversary and 2023 Wrangler Rubicon 392 20th Anniversary debuted today at the Chicago Auto Show as two of just a handful of new-vehicle premieres at the event. 

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Output figures for the pair of SUVs remain unchanged, but both the electrified Wrangler and the gasser get a bunch of exclusive upgrades. The most notable has to be the wheels, which at 37 inches in the available upfit kit by American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), are the brand’s biggest ever. We’ll let Jeep VP Jim Morrison explain: 

“Twenty years ago, a small group of enthusiastic Jeep engineers affectionately known as the ‘Lunatic Fringe,’ with grit and determination and their personal credit cards, designed, engineered, and developed the most capable Wrangler yet — the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon — and overdelivered on everyone’s expectations because they knew it was what Jeep customers wanted,” said Morrison in a prepared statement. “That same spirit of determination and ingenuity that led to the creation of the Wrangler Rubicon lives on in these new 20th anniversary special editions, which for the first time, bring available 37s to the Wrangler, providing unmatched capability.”

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The electrified 4xe anniversary edition is based on the 375-hp Rubicon 4xe, but should be detectable as not-your-average-Rubicon by its revised seven-slot grille, “20th Anniversary” decals in electric blue on the hood, more anniversary markings on the swing gate and shifter, and special red-and-black leather seats. 

To live up to the “most capable” label it has been throwing around, Jeep added a half-inch suspension lift that increases water fording to 32 inches and ground clearance to 11.2″. It also installed steel bumpers, 33-inch all-terrain tires, a built-in front off-road camera, steel rock sliders, a heavy-duty windshield, a special tool kit in a branded Jeep canvas bag, and auxiliary accessory switches for those mounting their own lights and other goodies. Pricing for the electric celebration of Rubicon’s 20th is set at $69,585, excluding $1,795 destination.  

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At $90,895 plus the same delivery charge, the 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 20th Anniversary is a good deal more, but you get a good deal more power. Based on the Rubicon 392 with a 470-hp V8 capable of pushing it to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 4.5 seconds, the anniversary model comes with an Xtreme Recon Package for further upgrades like bigger tires (35-inch all terrains), wheel flare extensions, and Mopar’s touch-on elements like the jack spacer and hinge gate. 

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It also wears the same grille as the e-version, gets similar anniversary markings (only in bronze on the hood), and has the full list of other upgrades including steel bumpers, branded tool bag, and red-and-black leather seats as well as an onboard compressor that isn’t included with the other model. The half-inch boost here bumps water fording 0.9 inches to 34.5 and clearance to 11.6″. 

Then there’s the Rubicon 20th Anniversary Level II with the AEV upfit, which adds another layer of exclusivity and $21,983 for the 4xe and $20,135 for the 392, plus another $995 for “logistics.” Limited to 150 units, this is where those aforementioned 37-inchers come into play. They’re paired with a bunch of other hardy equipment (AEV adds its own suspension, off-road lights, bumpers, skid plate, steering damper, and more) to achieve 14.2 inches of clearance, 37.1 inches of water fording, and a 50-degree approach. 

The two 20th anniversary will enter production at the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio in the coming months, and are expected to ship to dealers in Q2 of this year. Orders open at Jeep dealers this month.