Jeep Believes Lowering Wrangler Prices Will Increase Sales | Carscoops

      Stellantis reduces the 2026 Wrangler's price and eliminates expensive options, striving to attract buyers with enhanced value.

      Jeep has lowered prices on several trims of the 2026 Wrangler.

      The Wrangler Sport S four-door now has a starting price of $42,495, including fees.

      Additionally, some option prices have been reduced significantly.

      While the prices of most new vehicles typically rise each year, Jeep has made the 2026 Wrangler more affordable on paper. They have also decreased the prices of several popular options, enabling customers to purchase a Wrangler for less in a climate of generally increasing costs.

      For the sought-after Wrangler Sport S, the four-door model begins at $42,495, which encompasses the $1,995 destination fee. According to Bloomberg, this is $1,350 lower than the previous year's model. However, there is a small detail to note: Jeep's configuration tool still lists the 2025 four-door Sport S starting at $42,290 with destination fees, making the 2026 version seem slightly more expensive.

      The four-door Wrangler Willys has also seen a price reduction, now priced at $44,500 before destination fees, down from $44,790 last year. In contrast, the two-door Willys has increased in price from $40,190 to $42,715.

      “We implemented this across all our vehicles,” said Bob Broderdorf, Jeep’s CEO, in an interview. “This is us giving back to the customer the essence of what makes Jeep unique.”

      Other trims exhibit a similar trend. The price for the 2026 Wrangler Sahara now starts at $48,895, a decrease from $49,370 in 2024. The Rubicon X has also seen a slight reduction. The two-door variant has dropped from $57,500 to $57,320, while the four-door version has decreased from $62,000 to $61,990. Although it's only a $10 reduction, it still constitutes a discount.

      “Stellantis quickly realized that if we increase costs while reducing content for the average consumer, we lose,” remarked Erin Keating, executive analyst at Cox Automotive. “They had to undergo a structural reset simply because the rest of the market was thriving while they were struggling.”

      Reducing Additional Costs

      Prices for options have also decreased. Previously, features such as LED lights, all-terrain tires, heated seats, and a heated steering wheel amounted to roughly $9,400, but that total has dropped to about $5,000. Similarly, adding the retractable canvas top now costs only $995, down from approximately $4,000.

      “These features are what truly excite customers,” stated Carlo Merlo, vice chair of the Stellantis dealer council and a Jeep dealer from St. Louis. “If they’re too costly, dealers won’t place orders because they know customers can’t afford them.”

      Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf believes that simplifying trims and providing more affordable configurations will enhance both sales volume and profitability. Whether this strategy will be sufficient to alter recent sales patterns remains to be seen; however, the focus on pricing signifies a shift in strategy.