Jeep News • August 2026
The 2027 Jeep Wrangler Laredo Is Back. What Durham Jeep Shoppers Should Know.
Published August 2026 • Details confirmed as of August 11, 2026

Jeep revived the Wrangler Laredo nameplate in July 2026, the ninth entry in its Twelve 4 Twelve series. It arrives with the Xtreme 35 Package standard, meaning 35-inch BFGoodrich KO2 tires, bronze beadlock-capable wheels and a 1-inch lift straight from the factory. For Durham drivers, the short version is this: a Wrangler that leaves the lot already set up for the Badin Lake trails, without the aftermarket bill.

What Jeep Announced

The Laredo name has history. It rode on Jeep products for decades before quietly disappearing from the Wrangler lineup. Jeep brought it back in July 2026 as part of Twelve 4 Twelve, a run of twelve limited Wrangler variants released across a single year. The Laredo is number nine.

The theme is the American Southwest, and Jeep committed to it. The build is drawn from the Wrangler Willys, and here is what Jeep confirmed comes with it:

  • Standard Xtreme 35 Package: 35-inch BFGoodrich KO2 tires on bronze beadlock-capable wheels, plus a 1-inch lift
  • Available in both two-door and four-door configurations
  • The tan soft top returns, a detail long-time Wrangler owners have been asking for
  • Sky One-Touch powertop available on the four-door; black hardtop available on both body styles
  • Bison Brown Nappa leather seats with front heat and power adjustment, stitched in Mayan Gold
  • Laredo hood decals in the center and on the sides, plus bodyside decals
  • A lasso-style 4WD decal on the rear, and bronze-accented Jeep and Trail Rated badging
What Jeep did not say. The announcement included no engine or powertrain specifications. We are not going to guess at them, and you should be skeptical of anyone who does, because Wrangler coverage frequently mixes specs between variants. When Jeep publishes the Laredo's powertrain details, we will update this page.
A white 2026 Jeep Wrangler Willys four door with the doors and top removed, at Sport Durst CDJR in Durham, NC

The current 2026 Wrangler Willys, which is the build the 2027 Laredo is drawn from. Photography of the Laredo itself is not yet available.

What the Xtreme 35 Package Actually Means

Most of the Laredo announcement is trim and colour. One part of it is not, and it is the part worth understanding before you shop.

35-inch tires from the factory

A 35-inch tire is a genuine off-road size. Fitting one to a Wrangler normally means a lift kit, new wheels, a speedometer recalibration and often gearing changes, done after purchase and paid for separately. When it comes from the factory instead, the whole vehicle is engineered around it and the warranty covers it. That is the practical difference between a factory 35 and an aftermarket 35.

Beadlock-capable wheels

A beadlock clamps the tire bead to the wheel rim. That matters when you drop tire pressure well below street levels to get more grip on rock and sand, which is exactly when a normal tire can roll off its rim. "Beadlock-capable" means the wheel is built to accept the locking ring. It is a real off-road wheel, not a styling package.

A 1-inch lift

Modest, and deliberately so. Enough to clear the larger tires and add approach clearance without turning the Wrangler into something awkward to get into or unsettled at highway speed on I-40.

Back to top

Why This Matters in Durham and the Triangle

Central North Carolina is not obvious Jeep country the way Moab is. That impression is wrong, and the reason sits about ninety minutes southwest of our lot.

Badin Lake is the reason a factory 35 makes sense here

The Badin Lake OHV Trail Complex in Uwharrie National Forest is the only public off-highway vehicle trail system in the North Carolina Piedmont, according to the US Forest Service. It runs roughly 17 miles across nine trails, open to full-size 4WD vehicles, and it is about 100 miles from Durham, call it an hour and thirty-five minutes down US 64. The terrain is steep, rutted and rocky with seasonal mud and shallow stream crossings. It is the kind of place where 35-inch tires and the ability to air down stop being a styling choice.

Triangle Jeep owners have been building trucks for those trails for years, usually by buying a Wrangler and then spending months and money making it trail-ready. The Laredo's appeal is that it shows up that way, with a factory warranty attached and a permit from the Forest Service being the only thing left to sort out.

The rest of the year, it still has to work as a daily driver

Most of the miles on a Durham Wrangler are not on trails. They are on NC-147 into downtown, I-40 across to Research Triangle Park, and 15-501 toward Chapel Hill. A 1-inch lift and 35s do change how a Wrangler drives on pavement, and anyone telling you otherwise has not driven one. It is worth being honest about that before you order rather than after.

And the tan top is not a small thing

Nine months of the year the Triangle is open-air weather. The soft top comes off for Eno River trailheads in spring and Jordan Lake through the summer. The tan top coming back is exactly the sort of detail that only registers with people who actually take the top off, which around here is most Wrangler owners.

Back to top

What Happens Next for Durham Buyers

Here is the realistic sequence. We are giving you ranges rather than dates, because a promised arrival date is a phone call none of our salespeople can answer honestly.

  • July 2026, done Jeep unveiled the 2027 Wrangler Laredo and said orders would open later that month.
  • Now Ordering. If you want a specific configuration, two-door against four-door, hardtop against the tan soft top, this is the stage where you get to choose rather than take what arrives.
  • Typically several weeks to a few months after ordering opens Limited Twelve 4 Twelve variants generally reach dealer lots in modest numbers. We have not been given an allocation figure for this one, and we will not invent one.
  • In the meantime The current Wrangler lineup is on the lot now, including the Willys the Laredo is drawn from. Driving one is the fastest way to work out whether a two-door or a four-door fits your life.
If you want one, say so early

Limited-run Wranglers are the one case where telling a dealership what you want before it arrives genuinely changes the outcome. Call us at (919) 873-4578 and we will note the configuration you are after.

Drive a Wrangler While You Wait

The Laredo is coming. The rest of the Wrangler lineup is already here on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard.

See Wrangler InventoryCall (919) 873-4578

Sources

  1. Stellantis North America Newsroom, "Return of an Icon: Jeep Brand Unveils the 2027 Wrangler Laredo", July 2026. Primary source for every equipment, colour and configuration detail on this page.
  2. TFLcar, "2027 Jeep Wrangler Laredo Brings Retro Touches to the Brand's Latest Monthly Drop", July 2026.
  3. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in North Carolina, Badin Lake OHV Trail Complex. Source for the trail system details and its status as the Piedmont's only public OHV trail system.
  4. Jeep, Wrangler model overview, for current-lineup context.

This post covers an announcement, not a vehicle currently in stock. Equipment, configurations and availability are subject to change by the manufacturer. We will update this page when the 2027 Wrangler Laredo reaches retail inventory. Contact Sport Durst CDJR at (919) 873-4578 to confirm current availability.

Back to top