Surf's Up! This EcoDiesel Is Ready to Hit the Beach

There are some people who just can't get enough of beach culture. "Surf's up!" is more than an expression. It's something that gets your heart racing. As the Beach Boys once sang, "Catch a wave and you're sitting on top of the world."

That's the spirit Jeep is trying to re-capture in their new Wrangler Islander. According to a Fox News story, it's been 11 years since Jeep last produced an Islander. This time the machine has an EcoDiesel engine, and it looks like fun.

The story, by Gary Gastelu, appeared just yesterday. The lead on this story reads, "The Jeep Wrangler Islander is ready to hit the beach."

He describes to new Islander as a beachy 4x4 that is essentially a Wrangler Sport S, all dressed up with somewhere to go: The Beach.

Sporting 17-inch wheels and rock rails from the Wrangler Rubicon, it's emblazoned with its brand name on the edge of the hood along with Surf Blue stitching on the upholstery. You can order it in a variety of colors and some islander-themed accessories. Even the choice of engine is optional, gasoline of diesel.

According to Gastelu. you can get the Islander look on the Renegade subcompact SUV, that includes white roof accents at no additional cost. The article includes pricing for these various vehicles, and also a video from last year of a diesel -powered Jeep in action.

They're selling the Islanders as a Limited Edition, though no word on how limited that limit will be.

HERE'S THE LINK for the full story:
https://www.jeep.com/limited-editions/wrangler/islander.html

SEE ALSO: Three Engine Options for the Current Jeep Wrangler, Compared

Return of the Ford Bronco and a Diesel Surprise

No question about it. The Ford Bronco has a storied history. Introduced in 1965 for the upcoming '66 model year, the Bronco experienced three decades of continuous production, then was gone. Evidently, Ford felt it had had a good run, and trying to redesign the vehicle to meet emission standards seemed more effort than it was worth. Or so they must have thought in the board room.

Now, the Ford Bronco is back. According to Sam Berube at Hotcars.com, it is "the first off-road machine in a long time to present a serious threat to the Wrangler." Berube goes on to declare it the most hyped new vehicle since the A90 Toyota Supra. (The article itself is a detailed comparison between the new Ford Bronco and its target rival, the Jeep Wrangler.)

Though not noted in this article, one of the most memorable car chase scenes in history involved a Bronco. Hollywood is famous for its car chase scenes. Bullitt (Steve McQueen) and The French Connection (Gene Hackman) set the standard for high speed thrills on the silver screen. The Bronco conveying O.J. Simpson about the L.A. freeways was not famous for being a high speed nail-biter, but rather for the number of people who were watching around the country wondering what will happen next. That event took place on June 17, 1994 and two-thirds of all households in America were tuned in. 

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Ford Bronco fans are happy to see the return of the Bronco. A unique feature of this sixth-generation machine is that buyers have a choice of two engine options. According to Berube, "The first is a 2.7l twin-turbo V6 that makes 310 horsepower and 400 lb/ft of torque, which is a higher torque figure than anything you can get in a Jeep that doesn't burn diesel. The second, and likely to be the volume seller is a 2.3l turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that most Ford fans are already quite familiar with."

What we want to know is where's the Diesel option? The Bronco's chief competitor, Jeep Wrangler, offers a 3.0-liter diesel V6 with 260 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. "Diesel engines are great for aggressive rock crawling power, better fuel economy and have a huge following," Berube adds.

Also, the Ford Bronco is supposed to be a muscle SUV, so where is the V8 engine option? The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is getting a powerful V8 Hemi engine with 450 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque that will accelerate from 0 to 60 in under five seconds. The Ford Bronco doesn’t have a hybrid engine option.

There are many more details--both mechanical and electrical--in the original article which you can find here: https://www.hotcars.com/why-ford-bronco-could-last-longer-than-jeep/

Diesel or not, whatever powertrain you get for your new Bronco, be sure to take the #91 West, the #110 South, the #405 North, and the Sunset Blvd Exit.