What Is the Jeep Wrangler Mountain Edition?

The Jeep Wrangler Mountain Edition: Taking Special Releases to New Heights

The year 2010 was arguably the start of Jeep’s obsession with special edition Wrangler releases and began with two fraternal twins: The Islander and Mountain Editions.

The Jeep Wrangler Mountain Edition (or simply, Wrangler Mountain) is based on the Sport S trim level and could be had as a 2-door or a 4-door Unlimited. It’s worth noting that there were special Wrangler variants launched in 2009 and 2017 called the Rocky Mountain Edition and Smoky Mountain Edition, respectively, but neither is related to this vehicle.

Though this isn’t the most off-road-focused Wrangler out there, it did subtly pay tribute to a major Jeep accomplishment that many may not know about.

Exterior of the Jeep Wrangler Mountain Edition

As with most of the Wrangler special editions, the majority of the unique features are cosmetic in nature. With the Mountain Edition, you got high-gloss Mineral Gray 17-inch Moab wheels, a black hood insert, tubular side steps, and gray grille/bumper appliques. Additionally, it was outfitted with Mopar-made black taillight guards and a black fuel-filler door. One upgrade that did help to bolster all-terrain performance was a set of 32” off-road tires that came with the package.

A unique paint color available for the Mountain Edition in 2010 was the gorgeous Rescue Green. It was available in previous years for all trims but was exclusive to the Mountain for 2010. You could also select Brilliant Black, Mango Tango, or Deep Water Blue, but none of those seem quite as perfect for this special edition.

2012 added the bright green Gecko color, which looks a bit like Mojito. There was also Black, Bright White, Black Forest Green, and Dozer, a construction-inspired orange.

More obvious than the paint colors are the large decals on each side of the hood and the spare tire cover. They feature the text “Mountain,” plus a globe and an orange crosshair over South America, specifically in Argentina, just east of its border with Chile. The coordinates for this targeted location are 27° South, 68° West.

If you were to teleport to this location, you’d find yourself at some 15,000 feet above sea level, hours from the nearest town, and very surprised at the sudden decrease in oxygen. You’re in the middle of the Andes mountains in the Catamarca province near a place called Las Peladas, which roughly translates to “the peeled.” Indeed, this is rugged, barren terrain that looks like it’s been scraped away at by centuries of wind.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you could try scaling Ojos del Salado (“Eyes of the Salty One”, roughly), the tallest active volcano in the world! It’s also the second tallest mountain in the Western Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, after the legendary Aconcagua. At 22,615 feet, we’d recommend against it unless you’ve got the climbing experience and gear to handle it.

Jeep Wrangler Mountain Edition: Off-Road Performance

This virtually stock Rubicon Unlimited was used by Matthias Jeschke to set a world record for climbing the tallest volcano in the world, Ojos del Salado. The Mountain Edition pays tribute to this event.

The coordinates being so close to Ojos del Salado is no coincidence. In fact, it’s a popular mountain for those attempting to set the record for the highest altitude aboard a land vehicle. One of these records, at 6,646 meters (21,804 feet), was set in March 2007 by Matthias Jeschke of Germany. Braving temperatures of -22 F, low-oxygen air, glacial fields, and incredibly rough terrain, he drove to a place that many vehicles had tried and failed to reach.

The vehicle he used? A Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (with no add-ons apart from a winch and Goodyear MT/R tires!). In 2015, Jeschke would later beat his own record by 29 meters, reaching an even higher part of the summit in a much larger 4x4 Mercedes Zetros. The Mountain Edition pays homage to Jeschke’s feat with a subtle nod to the mountain and beautiful surrounding area. If you look closely at the hood decal, you can even see that the mountain range depicted in the graphic looks like that of Ojos del Salado, with three distinct ridges, each taller than the last.

Unfortunately, the Jeep Wrangler Mountain Edition would be less well-suited to the task than its name would imply. Since it’s based on the Sport platform, it doesn’t have the improved low range, the front and rear locking Dana 44 axles with 4.10 gearing, sway bar disconnect, or the off-road skid plate package that the Rubicon offers. While it’s well-suited for your everyday mountain-climbing adventures, we wouldn’t try to set any world records in the Mountain Edition without some serious upgrades.

While some Mountain Editions offered a more generic "mountain" stitching, others featured the globe with coordinates.

Interior of the Jeep Wrangler Mountain Edition

The easiest additions to spot in the Mountain’s cabin are the custom stitchings on the front seats. It’s hard to say if there was rhyme or reason for it, but there appear to be two different embroidered designs that came on this Wrangler. The first is simply a white and gray mountain with orange trim and the word “Mountain” in orange font. The second includes a similar image but adds the Ojos del Salado coordinates as the text. The seats feature Slate Grey contrast stitching and a cool topographical pattern inlay.

Other than that, you’ll get anodized graphite HVAC vent rings and tire tread pattern rubber floor mats. Apart from these add-ons, the cabin is indistinguishable from that of a regular Wrangler Sport S.

Jeep Wrangler Mountain Edition Price

The Mountain Edition package was available for just $1,820 increase over the regular MSRP, which started at $25,535 for a 2010 two-door Wrangler Sport S. The wheels, tires, gunmetal gray accents, optional Rescue Green paint, and unique decals would certainly justify the price bump to hardcore Jeep enthusiasts.

We don’t have production numbers for this variant (some forum users estimate 2,000 units for the 2010 year), but there doesn’t seem to be anything indicating that the Mountain Edition is any rarer than the Islander or other special edition Jeeps. This is another special variant where the extra features are cool to have, but won’t add very much to the resale value of your 4x4, should you try to hold onto it for the collectability aspect.

Image Credit: Motor 1 | Top Speed