- four new and three previously seen concepts will take to the trials in utah next weekend for the annual easter jeep safari.
- new this year are the all-electric magneto, the classic-inspired jeepster beach, the rock-ready jeep red bare gladiator rubicon, and the eye-catching jeep orange peelz.
- three concepts from 2020 will also be part of the safari for the first time: the gladiator farout, the wrangler rubicon 392, and the gladiator top dog.
jeep is rolling into spring with a bevy of concept vehicles for the easter jeep safari. the annual brand celebration will take place in moab, utah, starting march 27 and running through april 4. the four new concepts jeep unveiled for the event this year don't correspond directly to any production models, but there are a few hints about what's on the horizon.
jeep wrangler magneto ev
the all-electric jeep magneto, based on the two-door 2020 jeep wrangler rubicon, was teased earlier this month. powered by four battery packs with a total of 70.0 kwh, the magneto has 4x4 capability and power output of 273 pound-feet of torque and 285 horsepower. unusually for an ev, the magneto has a six-speed manual transmission. jeep says the idea would be for the motor to engage in regenerative power collection upon clutch engagement to prevent rev hang in quick-shifting scenarios. jeep has also decided to spread the four battery packs around the wrangler body to keep the weight balanced.
jeep claims the magneto can go from zero to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds, and you can't miss the bright white paint with surf blue accents on the outside and the royal blue and black leather seats inside the open interior. we think the magneto is likely a hint that a production wrangler ev could be on its way, perhaps late this year or early in 2022.
jeep gladiator rubicon red bare
this gladiator rubicon concept focuses more on the low-end power side of the jeep equation, which has a 3.0-liter ecodiesel v-6 engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission calibrated for low-rpm shifts, and a 91:1 crawl ratio to help keep the fire cracker red exterior paint right side up. the engine produces 260 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque and it comes with engine stop-start technology as well. the jeep red bare gladiator rubicon uses dana 44 front and rear heavy-duty axles with 4.88 axle ratios, 37-inch bfgoodrich mud-terrain tires, factory steel bumpers with a warn winch, and a front bumper grille guard.
1968 jeepster commando beach
instead of looking forward, the jeepster beach takes a 1968 jeepster commando (c-101), adds in a two-tone paint scheme (hazy ipa and zinc oxide) and throws in a modified 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 340 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, about 25 percent more power than the production version of that engine. there's an eight-speed automatic transmission and a 4:1 transfer case to move the concept's 35-inch tires. inside, there are bucket seats with red leather trim and none of that messy carpet that would just collect sand.
jeep wrangler orange peelz
if you can't take a jeep chassis on the trail, perhaps the jeep orange peelz will do the open-air trick. based on a two-door wrangler, this concept does away with the side and rear windows, and uses prototype jpp half doors and a removable one-piece glass sunroof. there are five-inch, off-road led lights mounted at the base of the a-pillars and the windshield is made of corning gorilla glass. under the hood, you'll find a 3.6-liter pentastar v6 that produces 285 hp and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, along with an eight-speed automatic transmission. the orange peelz rides on 37-inch bfgoodrich km3 mud-terrain tires and uses a 2-inch jpp lift kit with fox shocks.
the concept's name comes from the orange peelz exterior color, teamed with contrasting satin black beltline graphic and fender badges.
jeep will also bring three jeep and mopar concepts that we saw in 2020 to moab for the first time: the jeep gladiator farout, the jeep wrangler rubicon 392, and the jeep gladiator top dog concept will all be on location.