Factory Fitted

Genuine off-road accessories direct from the showroom.

- Matt Raudnonikis

IN AN era where car companies are serving up special-edition models with sticker packs, black wheels and bespoke floor mats, wouldn’t it be nice if some of the kit they fitted actually made your 4x4 better off-road? If the US-market F-150 Raptor is anything to go by, then the rumoured Ford Ranger Raptor has potential to deliver on this front, but there’s little else coming out of new car showrooms with any true factory off-road cred.

Jeep’s JK Wrangler Rubicon is without doubt the best showroom-stock off-roader you can buy today. Better than average ground clearance, live axles front and rear, locked diffs front and rear, extra-low gearing, a front swaybar disconnect, and more aftermarket accessories than you could ever fit to just one car – it all combines to make it a killer off-road combo.

Clever car companies like Jeep have the massive aftermarket industry in its sights. It wants some of the millions of dollars enthusiasts are spending on their rigs to customise them to their individual requirements and tastes.

This is in part why manufacturers offer these dress-up option kits – to give buyers something special in their new vehicle.

Trust Jeep to be the company to bring you factory accessories that not only look different, but make your car better off-road. Chrysler/ Jeep’s MOPAR brand is a factory accessories business, and the product doesn’t end with seat covers, stickers and fluffy dice. In the USA, MOPAR will offer you long-arm suspension kits with up to four inches of lift, heavy duty Dana crate axles, rock rails, front and rear bars, winches, and beadlock wheels – hell, you can even buy a Hemi V8 crate engine ready to install. Things aren’t so liberal here in Australia, but the local arm of Jeep does offer a limited range of MOPAR products, and some of them will make your Jeep better off-road.