Seven new Jeep concept vehicles will make their debut at the 2017 Easter Safari. Each year the local Jeep club in Moab, Utah, host the popular off-roading extravaganza.
Jeep and Mopar participate in the event by giving everyone a special treat. It rolls out several new Jeep concept vehicles. These aren’t just pretty things that sit on pedestals and that’s it. No, employees take them out on the trails, showing they’re fully functional off-road beasts.
It’s always a surprise to see how many and what kinds of concepts Jeep and Mopar trot out. They often preview future models, or optional equipment. Alas, they didn’t trot out the new Jeep pickup truck. But this year we get seven glorious concepts, one of which is more of a resto-mod than a true concept vehicle.
About that resto-mod, it’s a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ. Jeep did this to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this wildly popular SUV. It mixes the classic ruggedness of the original, plus some modern enhancements.
On the outside, you get a nice blue paint job. If you look closely, there’s a faint wood grain treatment hiding in there. It’s kind of a cool effect.
The Grand One rides on some pretty stylish 18-inch lace-style wheels. You can’t get these anywhere, because they’re a custom build. Wrapped around those are 33-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain KM2 tires. To accommodate all that, the rig uses a 2-inch suspension lift and high-clearance fender flares.
Both axles come with selectable locking differentials, so this Jeep can take on Moab trails with grace. Trimmed front and rear fascias make for better approach and departure angles. Jeep extended the wheelbase, too, for reasons I’m not too clear on at this point.
Most of the interior is a restored version of the original. You do get a bed liner on the floor, instead of carpeting, which is completely appropriate. Jeep also added a retro car phone, because why not?
If you like this one, you’ll definitely like the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk.
One of the new Jeep concept vehicles is the Safari. As the name suggests, it would be ideal for taking on safaris like ones people do in Africa. It’s already generating buzz because the doors and roof are see-through, and people think that’s neat.
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The roof is a hard, translucent material, with an aluminum rack. A drone is housed in the rack, so if you want to check out dangerous animals without venturing closer, you can.
As for the “windoors” or see-through doors, they’re a combination of aluminum and a clear vinyl. If you can’t tell from the picture, they’re a clamshell design, like what Honda did for the Element. To keep everyone from sweating to death, zipper openings let fresh air flow into the cabin.
Instead of a rear bench, Jeep installed two bucket seats in the back. They’re both turned outward, so people back there can easily gawk at any animals outside.
This Safari packs front and rear Dana 44 axles with selectable differential lockers, plus a 2-inch lift. It rides on 35-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain MK2 tires, wrapped around 18-inch custom wheels. The wheelbase is shortened for better trail capabilities than regular Unlimited models. Full-length skid plates, steel bumpers, a custom cold air intake, onboard air system and upgraded brakes are all packed in, too.
This off-road hot rod is one of the new Jeep concept vehicles. The Quicksand packs a Mopar 392 Crate Hemi engine. Eight-stack injection, a peekaboo hood cutout and gasser-style downturned open headers really add a unique flare. A six-speed Getrag manual transmission adds to the fun.
Jeep created a wild body, with a longer wheelbase than your typical Wrangler. The front and rear portions of the body are trimmed down, with the hard stop and windshield chopped in true hot-rod fashion. The top and windows are open, so you can get grit in your teeth.
The hot rod theme continues with this rig’s stance. Up front are 32-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain KM2 tires. In the rear are 37-inch versions of the same tires. Both sets are wrapped around 18-inch wheels with a vintage kidney bean design.
The only Compass concept, this takes the new version of the surprisingly capable Trailhawk model and makes it even more rugged. Among the enhancements Jeep applied is a 1.5-inch lift, a roof basket, cross rails and rock rails.
Jeep went for some dramatic cosmetic upgrades, too. The headlights and taillights are tinted, while the side mirror caps are gloss black. A custom hood graphic adds to the stealthy looks. Among the interior changes are Katzkin leather seats.
The Switchback wears all kinds of Mopar and Jeep Performance Parts, making it perhaps the most realistic new Jeep concept vehicles for us normal people. Among the more notable upgrades are front and rear Dana 44 axles, a 4-inch lift, Remote Reservoir Fox shocks, heavy-duty differential covers, 10th Anniversary steel front and rear bumpers, a Rubicon winch, an axle-back exhaust, a cold air intake, 37-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain KM2 tires, and custom 17-inch wheels.
For now, you can’t duplicate the half doors and hood, because they’re concept parts. Same for the Safari hard top and roof rack.
What if a TJ, CJ and JK got together and had a baby? Weird, I know, but that’s essentially what one of the new Jeep concept vehicles is. The CJ66 has a TJ frame, a CJ universal Tuxedo Park body, plus styling elements from the JK. Adding to the uniqueness is a Copper Canyon body color.
This thing is loaded with enough customizations to take up an article by itself. But since it actually debuted in SEMA last November, you might already be familiar with them. As a brief refresher, it uses a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 good for 383 horsepower. Crawling capabilities should be good with Dana 44 Crate axles in the front and rear, plus 35-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain tires, 17-inch Jeep Performance Parts beadlock wheels and a 2-inch lift kit.
Showcasing the ultimate in trail lighting, the Luminator is definitely ridiculous. To create this thing, Jeep teamed up with Magneti Marelli’s Automotive Lighting division.
Lights sit everywhere, including underbody rock lights held in place with magnets, fog lights that turn with the steering wheel, and spot lights mounted behind the windshield. Mounted to the hood is a light bar that looks like a futuristic blower. It uses active spot and dynamic following tech, which highlights wildlife or other forward hazards with spot lights.
Adding to the outlandish nature of this build is a solar panel mounted to the roof, because how else are you going to power all those lights? A drone landing pad, plus a lighted drone sit up top. A capacitive touch display sits on the rear window, so you can access the different systems. In other words, this isn’t an old-school rig by any stretch of the imagination.
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