Jeep Made One of the Wrangler’s Signature Features So Much Smarter

Between its unashamed utility and its obvious off-road origins, the Jeep Wrangler isn’t without its compromises — in addition to being a rough ride, it’s less refined than competition like the Toyota 4Runner.

Still, you have to commend the Jeep brand for sticking to its guns, as what the Wrangler lacks in modernity, it more than makes up for when it comes to heritage appeal. In features like the seven-slat grille and modular droptop capability, the JL continues to uphold tradition. 

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With this in mind, Jeep has given the model an update for next year that makes one of its signature moves much smarter and more user-friendly.

Pop and lock it

That being door removal, as keenly spotted by The Drive. With 2025 models and older, Jeep owners needed a Torx driver to loosen the fasteners and take the doors off (as Mopar conveniently demonstrates in its product video).

By contrast, the new system does away with the necessity of a tool altogether in favor of a nifty locking hinge-pin system. It’s really quite a neat design.

Granted, if you take a look through JL forums, it’s not uncommon for owners of older models to simply do without the hardware following reinstallation. After all, the weight of the Wrangler’s doors is significant enough to keep them on their hinges — Jeep itself makes a point of calling out their heft.

Nevertheless, the new system avoids even that complication. In initial (and continued) convenience, as well as added peace of mind, it makes for an objective improvement.

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Backed by tradition

Jeep’s continued support for the Wrangler’s removable doors is a product of the vehicle’s military heritage. In combat settings, Willy’s MBs did without them to allow for quicker and easier entrance and exit.

As such, when the first CJs (civilian Jeeps) hit the streets after the Second World War, they lacked doors, too. In fact, Jeep charged extra for canvas, and the brand didn’t even begin making steel doors standard equipment for the CJ-7 until the 1970s.

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To maintain that same open-aired spirit, the brand has since kept the doors removable. And that’s not the only military-inspired easter egg that you’ll find on modern-day Jeeps.

Beyond the vehicle’s various droptop configurations, it does, in fact, continue to offer a fold-down windscreen. The first Jeeps boasted such a feature to facilitate easier transport as well as improved visibility.

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Now, it’s a bit different from its predecessors in that the A-pillars remain in place. All the same, it’s a novelty that doesn’t need to be on a modern Wrangler; rather, it’s one that Jeep has included because of its history.

A big year ahead

Apart from updating the door mechanism, Jeep has also introduced new colors for the 2026 Wrangler in the form of Reign, Goldilocks, Joose, Earl Grey and Tuscadero.

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What’s more, as part of its 85th anniversary celebrations, the brand has launched a new 12 4 12 program in which there will be a new special edition Wrangler on the 12th of every month for a calendar year. If you’d like to learn more, you can head to the brand’s website.

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