Jeep showed off what was meant to be a China market Wrangler Dragon Concept at the Bejing Auto Show last year, celebrating the cultural icon in graphics, colors and soul.
Surprising Jeep, North American enthusiasts clamored for it here too. Thus Jeep recently began building the Dragon Edition Wrangler for stateside customers, now arriving on dealer lots around the country.
We recently got a chance to drive one here in Phoenix, Arizona at the Active Lifestyle Vehicle Awards event, in which the Wrangler competed against a vast array of SUV and Crossover vehicles on and off-road.
The 2014 Wrangler Dragon Edition is built upon the well optioned Sahara trim level and features a number of terminally unique exterior and interior styling details. It comes in any color you want as long as its black, with striking bronze satin trim accents and dragon graphics across the hood and driver side.
The bronze satin accents can be found on grille slats, headlamp surrounds and on the special 18” five-spoke alloy wheels. Other special details include gloss bumpers and bronze satin badges. A black body-color three-piece hard top is included as well.
The interior gets top-shelf heated black Nappa leather seats as well as piano black instrument panel trim and door handles. The bronze satin accents flow onto the steering wheel spokes, dashboard grab handle, and floor mat trims to name a few.
The look is handsome and rich with dragon graphic across the grab handle as well as the leather upholstery itself. The print on the leather actually has an embossed feel that adds to the theme, with a very realistic reptile skin aura.
The suspension and drivetrain is carry-over from the Sahara which means 18” x 7 ½ wheels and P255 70R18 tires. Command-Trac 4WD and gas shocks come with as well. On the rocks we found it to work well and clearance was never an issue for the course in which we found ourselves.
The upgraded gas shocks on the Sahara trim grade go a long way to making the handling better on the highway as well as off-road. Though anyone serious about off-roading is likely to toss most of the stock suspension no matter how good it is.
The 3.6 liter V6 with 285 horsepower is one of the best things that has happened to the Wrangler. Our tester had the 5-speed automatic, but you can get the six-speed manual as well. The EPA rates the automatic equipped tester here at 17 mpg city and 20 mpg highway.
Pricing for the 2014 Jeep Wrangler Dragon Edition starts at an MSRP of $36,095. A few of the examples we have seen for sale at the making of this video range up to about $42,500 with options, very similar to our test vehicle.
Jeep only expects to build a couple thousand of the Dragon Edition Wrangler, so if you want one, you ought to get in touch with your local dealer.
For a more in-depth review and photo galleries see ActivityVehicle.com
