by Matt Konkle
Torque Editor-in-Chief
Just a scant few weeks after releasing two new concept vehicle teaser images for the upcoming Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, Jeep Thursday pushed out another concept rendering that looks to highlight its Rubicon history.
The low-resolution image features what appears to either be a Wrangler or Gladiator with Rubicon badging that includes a 20 tacked on to the end. The hood’s bulge design along with what looks like a 392 also seems to indicate this concept will feature a Hemi engine and not an electrified powerplant. Near the bottom, the hood vent sports an American flag insert that mimics the Wrangler Freedom and Recon editions.
”Twenty years ago, the Jeep brand introduced the most capable production vehicle of its time,” the company said in a news release called Trail Marker 2. “Now, the newest Easter Jeep Safari Jeep concept celebrates the legendary 4x4 capability that continues to drive the Jeep brand and defy performance boundaries, decade after decade.”
Jeep did not announce a name for this concept in its release, but probably will in a few weeks as the brand usually pulls the curtain back from all its concepts right before EJS starts.
Additionally, while most concepts end up as one-off vehicles, this one could make it to production just as the 392 did last year. That’s because the Wrangler is due for a mid-cycle refresh for the 2023 model year, and this one could show off those changes.
This year’s 56th annual EJS event kicks off on Saturday, April 9th, 2022, and will go on through Sunday, April 17th, 2022.
Jeep first rolled out the Rubicon Wrangler in 2003, naming it after California’s Rubicon Trail - one of the most demanding 22-mile stretches of off-roading in the country. The Rubicon name has since been applied to Gladiator as well as the 4xe and 392, and is the top trim level for both two- and four-door vehicles.
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