Easter Jeep Safari is just around the corner — and this is another glimpse at what’s coming.
“Ever wonder what blending two mighty off-roaders like the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator might look like?” That’s the question Stellantis poses to those looking at its latest teaser, showing another concept bound to hit next month’s Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. The automaker goes on to suggest this design “reinvents what the ultimate terrain tackler dares to be,” but what will that actually mean?
Apart from the image above, there aren’t any other official details to solve that riddle just yet. We can glean some crucial elements, though, and speculate a bit on what could we could see hitting this year’s EJS.
The Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler are already as closely related as you’ll currently see between a truck and SUV model. Even stock, the family resemblance is immediately apparent. Still, Stellantis does hint where they started with the question, “What if a truck dared to be more like an SUV to increase its departure angle?” So, on that basis it’s clear they’re technically starting with a Gladiator here, rather than the Wrangler.
Maybe, maybe we’re looking at a Gladiator Rubicon 392?
Sticking with the Gladiator assumption, it appears we’re looking at a shortened wheelbase and bed from your stock truck. That, plus lifting it up to fit some massive mud-terrain tires would indeed give it better approach, breakover and departure angles. Even more curious, to my eye at least, is what’s at the front. You can’t miss that huge hood scoop, can you?
This may be wishful thinking, but perhaps something that prominent will house a beast of an engine: like the big 6.4-liter Hemi V8 out of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392. If you look at this as a modern take on the Scrambler CJ-8 and give it that kind of power, you’d definitely capture the imagination of so many horsepower-hungry off-road enthusiasts out there.
Whatever Jeep has planned here, we’ll find out all the answers in early April. Easter Jeep Safari is on between April 9 and April 17, and you know the TFL team will be there. Stay tuned for more updates!
