The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 — the first Wrangler in 40 years to pack a V-8 engine under its air-scooped hood — is also the fastest and most powerful Wrangler ever. It also checks off another box on the Jeep fan wish list, joining the diesel Wrangler, the Gladiator pickup and the upscale Grand Wagoneer that comes this year. With 470 hp and 470 pound-feet of torque, the Rubicon 392 is three times as powerful as the last Wrangler equipped with a V-8 and 40 percent faster than the modern Wrangler Rubicons with V-6 engines. Under the hood is a 6.4-liter V-8 paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission — no manual gearbox is available — with steering wheel-mounted paddles shifters, a first for the Wrangler. We’ve collected a few early reviews.

“At the push of a button, the engine barks from the aggressive dual quad-tip exhaust and you can’t help but smile. We were just a tad disappointed our test vehicles had full doors installed, so we made sure to open up the Sky One Touch top to soak in as much of that visceral V-8 melody as possible. For those who enjoy being a little stealthier, a button on the dash actuates the active flap in the exhaust and makes it quite subdued in ‘quiet’ mode.

“On the road, this feels like the best-riding and -handling Jeep Wrangler to date. The 392 has great road feel, is incredibly comfortable, and is not at all sloppy. When you stomp the accelerator pedal, the 392 flat out gets on it, pushing occupants back in a way no Wrangler ever has before. Also, just like in the Grand Cherokee SRT, the transmission performs wonderful throttle blips as it makes impressively quick downshifts, and you find yourself playing with the metal paddle shifters just to hear the engine and gearbox dance together.

“While all the on-road stuff is fun, it’s not really what the new Wrangler 392 or this first drive is about. For it to really come into its own, you have to be in the dirt, where the 392 transforms into an adrenaline-inducing enabler of off-road hooliganism. Sand dunes were our favorite terrain, where it was seemingly impossible for the 392 to get stuck. No matter how deep the sand was, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 392 used brute force to power its way forward, throwing enormously entertaining curtains of sand skyward.

“Smooth dirt roads become a personal drifting course as the chassis allows you to steer with the throttle, especially when Off-Road+ is activated and the electronic stability-control button is held down until you hear the magic tone that indicates you’re off the leash. It might be weird to say of a solid-axled vehicle on off-road tires, but the 392 is a driver’s machine. It is so well dialed, it actually encourages you to manhandle it without overzealous nannies stepping in to break up the fun.”

— Sean P. Holan, MotorTrend

“I found the drive modes and the two-speed transfer case (the system that allows for lower gear ratios when crawling over steep terrain) to be push-button intuitive — literally. One press of the appropriate button on the dashboard maintained power in all wheels so effectively that the 392 pirouetted down trails usually only accessible by the spider-like contraptions with metal cage bodies and giant knobby wheels that serious off-roaders build at home. It was like a scene from Mad Max, plus Jeep. I didn’t see another OEM stock vehicle out there all day.

“During my drive I also tested ‘Off-Road Plus,’ another setting with rock and sand modes, which adjust throttle, transmission shift points, and traction control for peak performance on higher-speed passes on loose terrain. There was something liberating about flying over ruddy sand as fine as powder, far away from work deadlines, family concerns, coronavirus restrictions, and state troopers monitoring traffic infractions.

“That the Off-Road Plus drive mode let me lock the rear axle and fly is notable because, as Jeep brass tell me, it’s that specific capability which is the primary practical benefit of the V-8 architecture over the less-expensive V-6 — cool new engine note and obvious bragging rights notwithstanding.

“The Rubicon 392 offers lots of other trail functions to smooth power delivery, adjust gear ratios, lock and unlock differentials, and disconnect the front sway bar, for instance. In the very legit, tougher-than-us-all overlanders of yore these might have been complicated, but here modern convenience allows for buttons and levers that are easily adjusted in the roomy Rubicon cabin.”

— Hannah Elliott, Bloomberg

“Having driven each of the Wrangler’s other engine variants, I can say with confidence that the 392 is exceptionally quicker on the road. The throttle is much touchier than the four- and six-cylinder Jeeps, too, providing an immediacy that’s just as surprising as it is fun.

“If there is a weak spot for the 392, it’s that the rest of the on-road experience (apart from the engine) is identical to a standard Rubicon. There is still a dead zone in the steering large enough to fit a Moab boulder, and the body still rolls significantly with any sort of aggressive cornering. This is not a TRX.

“Those shortcomings quickly left my mind as our convoy began climbing Moab’s wonderful Behind The Rocks trail. This stretch of off-road heaven changes the pace on you frequently with large, slippery rock obstacles sitting between long stretches of soft sand. The dichotomy of low-traction, hard acceleration, and slow, steady crawls keeps the heart pumping at all times.

“Right away I was impressed by how manageable the 392 was with the transfer case in four-low. Aiding this is an Off-Road Plus setting, which softens the accelerator even further when crawling. The same car that was just a touchy, eager speed demon on the road suddenly became tame and controllable in the tough stuff – this is the result of fantastic engine calibration on behalf of the engineers.”

— Clint Simone, motor1.com