Like some sort of mythical white whale, the Jeep Wrangler JL has been hounded by its enthusiasts for months upon months, with only shadowy sightings here and there of a heavily camouflaged vehicle rewarding its pursuers.
But in the weeks leading up to this year’s Moab Easter Jeep Safari, more and more voices began whispering that Jeep’s next generation Wrangler may actually make its appearance alongside the red rocks in southeastern Utah.
After all, why not introduce the brand’s biggest, and most anticipated, new vehicle during a week many believe is the largest Jeep event around.
Even in the days leading up to last Wednesday’s reveal at the Jeep concept staging area, many industry contacts we spoke with believed the JL would show up.
And yet, when the curtain fell, it was the brand’s Grand Cherokee Trackhawk which made an entrance. A vehicle, Jeep claimed, that could travel from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and was strictly on pavement only. Mind you, this was in Moab, Utah. At the EJS. Where off-road vehicles are king and on-road superstars, even ones that accelerate in the blink of an eye, simply aren’t.
Moab’s Wednesday reveal event actually happened about an hour after the Trackhawk rolled out during New York’s International Auto Show. A more traditional place to show off such a vehicle. Now, the plan all along could have been a double reveal, but earlier this year Jeep boss Mike Manley said he was taking the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk to New York. Nothing about a Moab showing, which left many wondering why Jeep chose a secondary roll out of the Trackhawk in Moab - announcing to the crowd ‘Jeep and Moab are known for their great off-road character, but we wanted to introduce the next great on road vehicle’.
So, what happened?
Well, according to the contacts we spoke to after the reveal, it seems the JL Wrangler just wasn’t ready for its close up. Whether that meant body design, internal components, or something else entirely remains a mystery. And while FCA may have wanted to introduce its next generation Wrangler in Moab, it determined the better path, though awkward, would be to push up the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk even though it didn’t fit the traditional Moab atmosphere.
Plus, based off the Safari Wrangler Unlimited concept, it appears the company even had a fall back plan to show off a few of the JL’s looks without having to unveil an actual JL. The Safari included what may believe is the JL front grille, hood and side vents.
Officially, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is on record saying the JL Wrangler will probably make its debut later this year at the Los Angeles Auto Show. However, that event falls in early December and right around the time FCA plans to have the vehicle in production.
The last time Jeep overhauled its Wrangler line was in 2006 when it changed over from the TJ to JK series. Jeep revealed that edition early in the year at Detroit’s International Auto Show, before beginning production in August – giving potential buyers many months of viewing research before having to make a buying decision.
We’d like to think, based on our conversations within the industry, Jeep still internally does plan to reveal the JL Wrangler earlier than Los Angeles. But as delays keep mounting, its enthusiasts have to start wondering when this white whale will actually make its appearance.
