by Gabrielle DeSantis

These days, many diesel engines are on the chopping block, and Jeep might not be an exception. The Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Cherokee 4xe are the first examples of its push for electrification, and the V8s engines may be in danger as a result. 

Jeep is dropping V8 engines 

The Ford PowerStroke Diesel engine just got discontinued in the F-150, and Jeep says that diesel sales are expected to drop off by 2030. The push toward electric vehicles is starting to feel a little fast! 

Jeep CEO Christain Meunier has confirmed that its V8 engines aren’t dead yet, despite pushing for massive electric vehicle plans. Jeep plans to offer an electric model in every SUV segment by 2025. 

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe is our first taste of electric power, but we aren’t ready to say goodbye to the V8 engines. Meunier shared that V8 will go away in favor of electric vehicles, but not yet. 

He explained that it’s essential to keep the V8 engines for as long as possible, especially while there is market demand. However, electrification provides the opportunity to enhance performance in a better way. 

How does the Jeep Wrangler 4xe compare? 

With the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, you get a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that’s paired with two electric motors to generate 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 has a 6.4-liter V8 engine that pumps out 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. 

The Wrangler 4xe begins at about $49,805, and the Rubicon 391 starts at about $73,500. So, for an extra $30k, you get an increase of 25 hp. This doesn’t seem like the best deal, but the Rubicon 392 just came out, and fans are drawn to its loud HEMI roar. 

They probably aren’t considering the fuel economy, though. The Rubicon 392 gets an EPA-estimated 13 mpg in the city and up to 17 mpg on the highway. The 4xe has a 22-mile electric range, a total range of 370 miles, and an EPA-estimated 49 MPGe. 

Since diesel engines are also at risk, let’s look at the EcoDiesel engine. In the Jeep Gladiator, the 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine provides 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. It gets an EPA-estimated 22 mpg in the city and up to 28 mpg on the highway. The regular gas-powered Gladiator has the exact EPA estimates. 

How quickly will these engines go away? 

It seems like we have a few years left with gas-powered options. The Jeep Wrangler 4xe is only the first hybrid Jeep model to arrive. The 2022 Grand Cherokee 4xe will be here soon, and rumors suggest that the Gladiator 4xe is on the way. 

Every model will have an electric option by 2025, but that doesn’t mean the diesel or gas-powered models will be discontinued by then. Also, the Jeep Magento is still only a Jeep Wrangler concept. 

While Meunier says electric power increases acceleration, torque, and power with a better package that doesn’t hurt the planet, American executives are adamant that the transmission to electric won’t hinder performance.

RELATED: Charge Your 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe at Trailheads

The post Jeep Considers Dropping a Few Favorited Engine Options appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

You’re probably wondering, “What is a Fuskombi?” You already know what a Volkswagen Kombi is, right? The “Fus” is short for Fusca. In Brazil, Fusca means Beetle, and of course, Kombi is the Type 2 bus. Before you is a Brazilian mashup between a Beetle front and Kombi back. It has a basis in what VW could have actually produced. 

There were VW variants that the US never saw

Brazil had some unique VW wagon variants. They’re even called “Variant,” and you know the Type 3 Squareback and 411 Variant. But did you know there was also a Brazilian Variant I and II wagon? And all of these used some form of the Beetle floor pan. 

Diego Riello and Danilo da Silva of Overtake Garage in Brazil, are the masterminds behind the Fuskombi. The Beetle part came from a 1974 Bug, while the bus sections were scrounged from a wrecking yard. In all, about 10 cuts were necessary to mate the two. 

 “Putting all that together was the most difficult part,” Riello told autoevolution. “We had to combine them in a way that made the lines of these two vehicles match well together. For you to have an idea, the entire body structure comes from the Fusca, not from the Kombi. Anyone that thinks we just cut the Kombi’s roof and welded it to the Fusca is very wrong.”

Every single Fuskombi body piece came off of a 1974 VW of some kind

The off road look is aided with the fenders, and they also house large off-road tires. All of the body bits came from some form of a 1974 Volkswagen product. 

“That made it easier for us to make the designs match,” says Riello. “There was also an issue with the taillights. Newer models use larger ones, and most people prefer them to be smaller.”

The engine is stock and the interior looks stock

And that factory red interior was handled the same way. Always in the back of their minds was how VW might have produced the Fuskombi. A 1974 Porsche was sourced for the gauges. 

The Fuskombi’s power comes from the stock 1.5-liter engine that was in the Beetle when the project was started. It’s the stock 54 hp boxer engine with twin carbs. With the added weight it begs for more scoot we’re sure. 

Now enthusiasts want to buy a VW Fuskombi

Overtake Garage has had requests to build more now that the Fuskombi has been seen around the world. “The project price depends a lot on what the customer wants the car to have when it comes to wheels, interior, etc. But if we stick with the bodywork and painting, something similar to the Fuskombi would cost around R$ 80,000 ($15,300 at the current exchange rate). We now have plans to create a Baja pickup truck, a convertible…”

An enthusiast in Germany wants to buy the first Fuskombi. So, if Overtake wants to sell it they’ve got a start to begin another one. And if Overtake sticks to creations that look like the factory built them we’d love to see them.

RELATED: You Should Own a Volkswagen Beetle At Least Once

The post Volkswagen Should Have Made the VW “Fuskombi” appeared first on MotorBiscuit.