by Matt Konkle
Torque Editor-in-Chief
Horsepower, torque, history, electrification and fun. All mixed with a little slice of open-air excitement and Jeep Performance Products.
When the 56th annual Easter Jeep Safari kicks off later this week, there will be plenty of all that stuff on display in the Utah desert thanks to Jeep and its 2022 concept crop.
After weeks of cryptic renderings, Jeep Friday pulled down the curtain on this year’s entire one-off crop.
The brand is hauling seven new one-off vehicles out to Moab, along with three previously released vehicles. Among the new concepts is a revamped all-electric Wrangler, 4xe Grand Cherokee, military-themed Wrangler, 20th anniversary Rubicon Wrangler, Gladiator/Wrangler mash-up, Gladiator with tons of QR-coded Jeep Performance product and a wide-open cabin Wrangler.
For those at EJS, and many others around the world who anxiously await these non-production vehicles, the yearly concept releases show off new products, as well as what may go in future designs.
For Jeep, bringing out concepts means a bit more. It gives designers a chance to interact with an invested audience.
“It shows that we’re tuned in with the customers,” said Mark Allen, head of Jeep Design, during a recent media briefing. “There was a point in time when I think we sort of strayed and lost focus with the enthusiast group, and these vehicles reopen that for us.
"And we’re out there watching, listening—these are great conversations. I love nothing more than rolling up on a bunch of Jeeps getting ready to go out on a trail ride with a few of these freaky Jeeps, and they want to come talk to us.”
So here is this year’s respective concept lineup:
Jeep Wrangler Magneto 2.0
The Jeep Wrangler Magneto 2.0 takes everything great about last year’s all-electric version and mixes in a case of energy drinks to create an immensely powerful vehicle that seems like it was touched by the God of Lightening Thor himself.
The battery-electric Magneto 2.0 doubles the peak amperage of last year's concept, and offers a staggering 625 hp and 850 lb-ft of peak torque. This peak amperage can be maintained for around 10 seconds, resulting in an absurd two-second zero-to-60-mph time, according to Jeep.
Oh, and that is on 40-inch tires.
A blue-tinted see-through hood window allows onlookers a peek at the Magneto's electric insides which still includes a six-speed manual transmission — although this concept does arrive with a modified first gear ratio of 3.36, down from 5.13.
To create room for the electric powertrain's four lithium-ion battery packs, Jeep designers extended the Magento 2.0’s wheelbase an additional 12 inches.
Other additions include Dynatrac 60 Pro-Rock front and 80 Pro-Rock rear axles with a 5.38 gear ratio.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe
The first-ever Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrid joins the Wrangler 4xe as Jeep's second overall PHEV.
Even though this Trailhawk Grand Cherokee isn't an over-the-top build, it does feature the new 2022 production body styling. Also, like the production model, this vehicle is powered by two electric motors and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.
Other features on this concept include a custom Industrial Blue exterior color, custom roof rack, black painted Rhino Lined roof, custom fog light bezels, LED projector fog lamps, custom vinyl side graphics and Mopar rock rails, while Neutral Gray metallic matte 20-inch wheels are wrapped in 33-inch BFG mud-terrain tires.
Jeep ’41
If you know about Jeep, you know all about its rich military history. How it helped win World War 2, while winning over a whole generation of soldiers.
Well, this concept blends that military past with new Wrangler 4xe’s electric technology.
This retro Willys concept includes a tan soft top, black powder-coated steel bumpers, and custom stenciled military-style graphics that perfectly complement the olive D.R.A.B. '41 matte green military paint scheme.
One thing that really stands out on this vehicle is its 17-inch Fifteen52 throwback wheels, painted in that same D.R.A.B. '41 matte green, and wrapped in 35-inch mud-terrain tires.
Additionally, the ‘41 concept sports a JPP 2-inch lift to give it that extra clearance, while its D.R.A.B. '41 matte green color continues in the interior, thanks to a Rhino-lined heavy texture floor and instrument panel inserts.
Jeep Rubicon 20th Anniversary
Twenty years ago, Jeep introduced its Rubicon Wrangler as the most capable Wrangler ever.
And with 2023 marking two decades of this iconic Jeep Wrangler Rubicon model, it was almost a certainty Jeep would offer up a concept to mark the accomplishment.
This Rubicon 20th Anniversary concept takes that most capable notion and pairs it with the most powerful Wrangler engine ever - the 6.4-liter V-8 Hemi 392.
The vehicle also runs 17-inch Mopar beadlock-capable wheels wrapped in 37-inch BFGoodrich mud-terrain tires, adds a two-inch JPP lift for clearance and swathes the entire vehicle in a matte Granite Crystal-wrapped finish. Of all this year’s concept vehicles, this one may actually make it to production status.
Jeep Bob
Take one part Wrangler, one part Gladiator, and add a healthy mix of pickup overhang.
This gives you the Bob concept, something created to blur the lines between Jeep’s two popular off-road nameplates.
The Jeep Bob gets its name off a spin on the popular trend of “bobbing” long overhangs of pickup truck beds — something that makes them a bit more agile against tougher terrain.
This concept at its heart is an EcoDiesel-powered Gladiator with an entire foot of its bed carved out.
The idea of "bobbing" the bed reduces the ungainly, long overhang of the production Gladiator that lends it to truck utility.
Reducing the overhang means reducing that utility, but gives it more trail maneuverability.
Additionally, this vehicle is also missing its doors and B-pillars. Add in a custom engineered hardtop (covered in canvas), and there is a ton of fresh air for that open cabin excitement.
While the Bob may be short on length, it is not short on clearance - sporting 40-inch tires on 20-inch beadlock wheels. It arrives with a three-inch coilovers and bypass shocks for superior off-roading. Underneath is Dynatrac Pro-Rock 60 axles.
Jeep D-Coder
A Gladiator stuffed with JPP products that all offer QR codes. Perhaps the ultimate rolling advertisement.
This Gloss Black Jeep Gladiator D-Coder concept carries more than 35 JPP and Mopar accessories, with each painted in contrasting Maraschino Red and labeled with those QR codes. Each code is able to identify and label a specific JPP or Mopar accessory used in the build.
These include a two-inch lift, beadlock wheels, snorkel, cold-air intake system, cat-back dual-exhaust system, Gorilla Glass windshield, A-pillar mounting brackets, rock rails, tube doors, tube-door mirrors, grab handles, mesh sunbonnet, door-sill guards, stainless-steel pedal covers, all-weather floor mats, spray-in bedliner, and bed rails.
Jeep Birdcage
Wide-open awesomeness. That is what Jeep designers must have had in their heads when coming up with this concept.
Something to totally expose the cabin, while pairing it with the brand’s new hybrid technology and plenty of performance accessories.
This Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe displays an Eagle Brown exterior and a Tobacco Leaf and Cocoa Brown leather interior which makes for a rich, elegant visual. Both interior and exterior also show off that blue 4xe accent.
Up front, the Birdcage has a custom rock-slider skid plate protecting a Warn winch and is suspended between two rounded steel bars. There is also no windshield or windshield wipers; meaning this thing will never see a production line as currently built.
Towards the back, a Mopar-designed Add-A-Trunk concept decklid panel secures accessories when the roof is removed. The product uses gas-assist shocks to lift the decklid, which offers plenty of storage space for coolers, or other recovery and overland items.
Besides these seven new concepts, Jeep is also rolling out three others that they originally revealed during last November’s Speciality Equipment Market Association event —Overlook, Wrangler 4xe and Kaiser M725.
