It is not going to be cheap, and yet we pretty much already knew that though, didn’t we?
Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne told us as much back in January when he said Jeep’s newest project, a pickup truck many are dubbing a ‘Scrambler’, would be “expensive, intentionally so.”
It is something Marchionne describes as a lifestyle vehicle, designed to carve out its own market niche away from that of current midsize trucks by General Motors or Ford. Maybe even Toyota and Nissan.
“The reality is from a price standpoint, it’s completely out of (that price) range,” Marchionne said. “The (Jeep truck) consumer is somebody who appreciates the attributes of a Wrangler and who has a need for additional storage equipment. It’s a unique vehicle.”
And now we know a little more about where FCA expects that price to fall.
According to Fiat Chrysler Authority, a supplier source believes the Jeep truck will enter the market at $45,000 – just under $20,000 more than a JL Wrangler entry-level Sport. It also would be about $2,500 over the JL Rubicon starting price.
In contrast, the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 opens slightly above $40,000, while the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is about $41,500. The upcoming Ford Ranger is expected to fall somewhere around there as well, making Jeep’s ‘Scrambler’ on the highest end of that class.
Now, one thing to note, Jeep has not officially named its new truck and Marchionne said the naming process was ongoing during that same January press conference. But popular site JL Scrambler Forums has taken to calling the thing ‘Scrambler’ thanks to what the site calls an internal source. For its part, Jeep probably will not release the name until unveiling the whole vehicle to the media either later this year in Los Angeles, or early next year in Detroit.
What is more clear, or at least is starting to become more clear, is the Jeep Truck is slowly beginning to take shape outside of its traditional camouflage appearance – the same way Wrangler JL did throughout last summer.
Earlier last month prying eyes discovered one of the truck prototype vehicles cruising around without a tailgate cover, exposing a rear end with no traditional Wrangler tire carrier. While that is not exactly earthshattering news, as most expected Jeep to stash this extra tire under the vehicle’s bed, it was slightly sad to see no Jeep logo stamped into the tailgate itself. Presumably, there will be some type of decal or Jeep badging on the thing – we’ll just have to see.
Then, earlier this week, spy shots caught a somewhat exposed front end that verified another longstanding Jeep truck notion; that its front face will (nearly) exactly match the next generation 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL currently swarming dealerships.
Photos show off LED headlights as well as the familiar seven-slot grille, but also a set of recessed fog lights that may be attached to a slightly different front bumper design than JL offers. A set of taillights made a photo appearance too, but appeared to be the traditional JK taillight design, so most likely these are a placeholder while engineers work out new ones that will arrive later.
Additionally, interior shots depict the more familiar JK dash design befitting a truck mule-type vehicle. However, the roll cage appeared to be a normal Wrangler design and shows off latches holding down removable roof panels – confirming (at least at this design stage) it will not be a fixed hard panel roof. Many also believe the truck will launch with a soft-roof option.
Jeep has officially announced the vehicle’s release for April 2019, which basically means it should enter production sometime later this year with a press reveal possibly at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November, or Detroit’s North American International Auto Show in January.
Currently, the just-shut-down JK production line at FCA’s Toledo South Assembly Complex is undergoing a retrofit over the next several months, to accommodate the Jeep truck.
For further Jeep truck information, as well as a complete feature list and section by section overview, check out our Jeep Scrambler Pickup Truck, Parts and Specs Page.
