Jeep concepts exhibit electrification, bring luxury to Moab

Jeep's latest collection of Easter Jeep Safari concepts features a mix of eco-friendly powertrains, luxury and the brand's trademark ruggedness.

The seven concepts will be tested on the off-road terrain in Moab, Utah, for the 57th annual gathering of Jeep enthusiasts, which begins April 1. It's one of the largest off-road gatherings in the world, and is hosted by Moab's Red Rock 4-Wheelers club.

The brand uses the event to glean insights from off-roaders and give designers and engineers hands-on experience in the wilderness to help them develop future models.

Mark Allen, head of Jeep exterior design, said team members who are first-time participants in the Moab adventure always come back "a changed person" with a "different perspective of their role in creating Jeeps."

"I always say, if you work on Jeep — you're an engineer, designer or if you touch it in some way or the other — I need you to know Jeep," Allen said. "This is probably the most immersive, best way to do it, and it's super impactful."

Each concept is loaded with the latest production and prototype Jeep Performance Parts from Mopar.

Jeep is bringing luxuriousness to the desert this year with the Grand Wagoneer Overland. The SUV is outfitted with a roof camper and is the first Moab concept based on the current Wagoneer. The brand used the Grand Wagoneer's short-wheelbase variant instead of its longer L model.

The concept's most striking feature is the custom RedTail Overland Skyloft attached to its roof. The Skyloft includes a sleeping area for two people and windows to give occupants panoramic views of the environment.

Designers removed the Grand Wagoneer's second- and third-row seats to accommodate the camper. Jeep said the rear-most sunroof was repositioned to create a custom weatherproof, pass-through entrance from the lower area, where the third-row seats used to be, to the upper Skyloft level.

The camper has "its own battery pack and is solar charged," Allen said. "It has heating, air conditioning, LED lights throughout."

With the rear seats gone, Jeep appointed the interior with two beanbags, a plush throw rug, pillows and custom ambient lighting. The carpet was replaced with truck bed lining.

The battery electric Magneto concept, which boasts a six-speed manual transmission, will make its third and final Safari appearance this year.

The reimagined version, Magneto 3.0, has a more efficient motor that boosts the torque output from 850 lb.-ft. to 900. It also gets a 20 percent increase in usable energy and range from the previous version.

New with the Magneto 3.0 are three selectable drive modes. Drivers may choose between the standard 285 hp/273 lb.-ft. of torque, or the maximum 650 hp/900 lb.-ft. of torque.

There's also a two-stage power regeneration mode and a hill descent option that Jeep says can "offer true 'one pedal' off-road driving in serious rock-crawling situations."

The 3.0 has an updated paint scheme that pays homage "to all three evolutions" of the vehicle, Jeep said. The rear seats have been removed.

"I need to stress that there's not going to be a production version of this," Allen said. "This is us with an open laboratory, testing [and] learning about off-road electric vehicles."

But this won't mark the end of the battery electric Jeeps in Moab. Next year, a production version of the electric Wrangler-inspired Recon will be available, Allen said.

The powerful Scrambler 392 concept will charge through Moab with a Hemi V8 engine producing 470 hp and 470 lb.-ft. of torque.

It builds on the open-air legacy of the 1981 Jeep Scrambler (CJ-8), the brand's first convertible compact truck. The concept, which features custom carbon fiber body work, sits on 40-inch tires wrapped around custom 20-inch rims.

The two-door concept started as a four-door Wrangler Rubicon.

"We changed the body style on the vehicle," Allen said. "And the idea behind this was twofold. One, to extract more performance out of the vehicle by removing weight. And second, to create an alternative body style. It is still the 118-inch wheelbase from the Unlimited four-door, but turned into sort of a two-door short pickup truck."

Jeep said the concept includes the new AccuAir air suspension kit developed for the Wrangler and Gladiator. That system allows an adjustable suspension lift ranging from 1.5 inches to 5.5 inches, Jeep says, and can be adjusted on the fly with an in-cab controller, or through long-range Bluetooth on a wireless device.

Jeep designers put an electrified spin on a vintage 1978 Cherokee.

The vehicle was bought from Craigslist and modified heavily. It's housed on the Wrangler Rubicon 4xe plug-in hybrid's chassis. It uses the Wrangler 4xe's powertrain, which is composed of two electric motors, a high-voltage battery pack and a 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4.

Allen said that when they brought it in, the old Cherokee was a "piece of junk" but was everything the team needed.

The Jeep team is bringing its popular Tuscadero pink on the Wrangler Rubicon 4xe concept.

"The color is outstanding indoors — it's a super purply magenta," Allen said, "And outside, it rolls into this beautiful pink."

The concept makes use of the AccuAir air suspension kit to create enough clearance for the 37-inch tires.

The fortified Gladiator Rubicon Sideburn, which has a plethora of accessories, sports a grille guard that mimics Jeep's seven-slot layout and doubles as a bench.

"For those that have been out in the desert, sometimes you want to just be able to sit down and relax," said Mark Trostle, head of Ram Truck and Mopar design. "There's obviously tailgating that goes on, so we've offered another way to do that."

The design team at Jeep Performance Parts by Mopar listened to consumer feedback and installed a pair of removable 11-inch TYRI rectangular LED lights to each of the roof panels. The unique bed has integral Molle panels above and behind the wheel flares for additional storage.

Trostle said the Mopar crew "raided the parts bin" for the Wrangler Rubicon 4xe Departure concept. Like the Sideburn concept, the Departure has the custom grille guard that folds down to create a bench.

Mopar designers added flat-fender flares and wheel liners that are designed specifically for larger wheel and tire combinations to provide additional clearance.

The Departure uses three header-mounted, 11-inch TYRI rectangular LED lights with custom brackets that mount to the backside of the windshield header. Jeep said each light easily pivots out of the way when the windshield is folded down. Custom rock lights illuminate the ground at all four corners.

"One of the things we've learned over time," Trostle said, "is that our customers love to see how we utilize the things and accessories that are available to create a unique look."