It's right there on the hood of the all-electric 2026 Jeep Recon, the word "MOAB" in a burly red font running perpendicular to the seven-bar grille. The original plan was for the Recon to be in owners' driveways by about now, but politics, a lukewarm market for EVs, and a renewed excitement for internal-combustion Hemi power at Stellantis has not worked in the Recon's favor.Despite the roadblocks, it would have made perfect sense for the Recon to make an appearance next week at the Easter Jeep Safari, a massive, weeklong celebration of all things Jeep for more than 20,000 of the brand's most ardent fans (and critics). And guess where it's held: Yes, in the dusty off-road rock heaven of Moab, Utah. For a vehicle with MOAB on the hood, it's a no-brainer, right?But no, the Jeep Recon won't be in Moab for Easter Jeep Safari – at least that's what Jeep executives said last week in Detroit at a pre-Moab briefing. However, Stellantis will bring five all-new Wrangler, Grand Wagoneer, and Gladiator concepts, plus one sweet 1986 XJ Cherokee that Jeep bought from the original owner and restored to near-factory quality.Even more mystifying, journalists, employees, and other close friends of Jeep get to drive these one-of-a-kind custom rock crawlers, but not the production-ready Recon. Or maybe it's not yet production-ready at the plant in Toluca, Mexico? 'We Could Show It In Moab.' What? Tom Murphy / CarBuzz / Valnet This week, Jeep PR is being coy about the possibility of the Recon appearing in Moab next week. "We revealed and showed Recon in LA at the end of last year, so we could show it in Moab," Jeep spokesman Andy Bowman told CarBuzz via email. "In fact, there will be some surprises for the 20K+ Jeep fans that descend on Moab. So we'll have to wait and see what kind of surprises are in store for them!"At the briefing one week ago, Aamir Ahmed, Jeep's global head of off-road and EVs, said the Recon "will be out this year," and that the team is excited to launch it. Then he said:"In terms of why we're not showing it (at Moab), we want to make sure we give all the journalists an opportunity to drive that first when we have our short-lead media events."-Aamir Ahmed, Jeep's global head of off-road and EVs.Brett T. Evans/CarBuzz/Valnet In answering a journalist's question, Ahmed also hinted that the all-new 2026 Cherokee, with its hybrid powertrain, might make an appearance at the Easter Jeep Safari. "Who knows, maybe a couple show up," Ahmed said of the Cherokee.With regard to Recon, Ahmed noted that the "Moab" label "is on that product. At the same time, I think there's more that you'll see with the Recon that we're doing."The Recon was revealed in Los Angeles last year, then was displayed again in January at the Detroit Auto Show. If Jeep truly wants to sell the Recon – after investing hundreds of millions of dollars in it – why not take the opportunity to market it directly to 20,000 Jeep lovers? Is it because Jeep fans are discouraged by the $65,000 base price or the challenges of charging the battery while deep in the wilderness? Recon In Final Testing, Validation Tom Murphy / CarBuzz / Valnet Jeep isn't answering these questions, and there's also nothing new to report on the Recon's production timeline. Media test drives will come later this year, and Bowman says Recons are on the road "in our fast-feedback company fleet" around the country, going through final testing and validation.The Easter Jeep Safari is fun for Jeep enthusiasts, but it's real work for the brand keepers, who view it as a massive consumer clinic and an event that grew organically, without Jeep's official involvement, at least initially."It exists with or without us. It's not our event, which makes it special," Chris Piscitelli, Jeep's senior design manager, said at last week's briefing. "It's all about the customers coming and using their Jeeps for their intended purposes, right? Really, kind of getting out there, getting after it, working them to their absolute limits, breaking things, fixing things, you know, testing them again."The event has become such an important test bed for new designs and aftermarket parts that certain bumpers, grilles, wheels, interior patterns, and materials that appeared in Moab concepts have since gone into production some years later. And the event has expanded the entire color palette for Wrangler.Jeep"I mean, the pinks, the purples, the bright oranges, the army greens, the drab grays. All of those came first from the Easter Jeep Safari concepts," says Vince Galante, vice president of Jeep design. "I think before the Gladiator came out, we built 10 or so pickup trucks to see what was the right formula there. The Lower Forty (concept) is the first time we put in a Hemi."Whether Recon, the new Cherokee, or other "surprises" show at Moab, Jeep will still be very well represented with a fleet of new concepts that have a distinct production vibe about them. CarBuzz will be there as well, so join us soon for a wrap-up of the action.