JEEP has installed Chrysler Group’s acclaimed Pentastar 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine into its iconic Wrangler off-roader with the result of significantly improved performance and slightly reduced fuel consumption.

Available with a five-speed automatic transmission or six-speed manual, this high-tech powerplant has occupied the annual Ward’s 10 Best Engines list two years on the trot.

A better engine and transmission combination is always a good thing, so we travelled to Tasmania’s wind-swept King Island on a quest to sample how the extra power, torque and refinement fit into their rough-and-ready Wrangler surroundings on a mixture of bitumen, gravel, sand and rugged coastal tracks.