The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Turns 20

There isn’t much more I can say about the first-generation Jeep Wrangler Rubicon than what Angelina Jolie could, driving that stunning Wrangler Rubicon in the oft-maligned Laura Croft: Tomb Raider sequel from 2003.

That Jeep Wrangler Rubicon seared the off-roader into my mind as the epitome of Jeep’s off-road capability. But Jeep offers a bit of explanation of the Rubicon’s origin, and senior vice president Jim Morrison explains that:

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.

To that end, the original Wrangler Rubicon came with front and rear locking differentials, a beefy transfer case with 4:1 low range and Dana 44 axles. It also came with 31-inch off-road tires standard.

The follow-up to the original Rubicon came in 2007, after the Jeep Wrangler gained an extra pair of doors. No comment.

But in the interest of fairness, the two-door model was still an option, and the Wrangler Rubicon JK also came with updates to the suspension, including an electronic disconnecting front sway bar and slightly bigger tires than before at 32 inches.

The next big milestone for the Wrangler Rubicon came amid the same JK generation in 2013 , when the Rubicon turned 10. This previous Wrangler Anniversary Edition came with stronger rock rails than previous Rubicon models and redesigned steel bumpers front and rear. It also had a slightly higher suspension lift from the factory that added half-an-inch of clearance.

By this time, the Wrangler Rubicon had become entrenched in its image as a four-door SUV, but that bright red paint and color-matched fenders almost make up for it. This Wrangler Rubicon also got bigger 33-inch tires and an improved crawl ratio for its manual transmission — for the stick shift loyalists.

The Wrangler Rubicon released before the upcoming anniversary edition brought a big change to the Jeep in the form of electrification. This Wrangler saw the Rubicon through its transition as a combustion-powered 4X4 to a plug-in hybrid that supplemented its engine with a battery and electric motor that got 21 miles of pure-electric range.

Of course, Jeep also wanted to give fans a gas-powered alternative, so it offered the Rubicon 392 powered by a V8. Other notable upgrades included the option for bigger 35-inch tires to match the bigger output numbers of the mighty V8.

All of these Wrangler Rubicons led up to the creation of the latest model. So without further ado, here are some desktop-worthy shots of the latest Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, looking as rough and tumble as ever at the age of 20:

But first, a bit of context and specs for the latest Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and some of what the 20th Anniversary editions will come with.

The 2023 Wrangler Rubicon 20th Anniversary will have a new seven-slot grille, beadlock-capable wheels, an 83-piece tool kit, a triple hoop grille guard, steel bumpers, and a half-inch suspension lift. It’ll also come with 20th Anniversary decals on the tail gate and gear shift lever.

The Rubicon 4Xe 20th Anniversary will come with 33-inch BF Goodrich tires and a half-inch suspension that give it 11.2 inches of ground clearance and 32-inches of water fording capability.

The Rubicon 392 20th Anniversary comes with 35-inch tires and an on-board air compressor will be available to air those big tires up or down. The bigger tires and half-inch lift give this Rubicon 11 inches of ground clearance and 34.5 inches of water fording capability.

These models will start at $69,585 for the 2023 Wrangler Rubicon 4Xe, and $90,895 for the Rubicon 392, not counting their $1,795 destination charge.

The optional package from American Expedition Vehicles takes the Wrangler Rubicon 20th Anniversary Edition that much further with first ever 37-inch tires from BF Goodrich, a Warn winch, 17-inch AEV wheels, and basically all the skid plates imaginable and suspension upgrades from AEV and Bilstein shocks.

The changes give this limted edition Rubicon 14.2 inches of ground clearance, and will let it wade through 37.1 inches of water. The geometry for Level II Rubicons is a 50 degree approach angle, 33 degree breakover and 43 degree departure.

There will only be 150 of these models made, and they will have an MSRP of $91,568 for a 2023 Wrangler Rubicon 4Xe, or $111,030 for Rubicon 392. That’s before a $995 upfit charge and not counting delivery. Orders start this month.