The Easter Jeep Safari is an annual pilgrimage to the rocky environs of Moab, Utah, where fans of the brand can run their rigs through some of the toughest obstacles found in the American off-road community.
Recently, the crew at Jeep have turned it into something of an auto show as well, bringing concept one-offs and production vehicles laden with the latest accessories. Jeep has released a few teaser images of what it has up its sleeve for 2022, including a tasty new treat which dropped today.
Described as “blending two mighty off-roaders,” referencing the Wrangler SUV and Gladiator pickup, this image sketch shows a unique take on two of the brand’s popular models. The few lines of text accompanying the image make mention of a Gladiator with the departure angle of an SUV, suggesting modifications to the Glad’s box to reduce its overhang.
For those new to the off-road gang, departure angle is the pitch as measured diagonally from a vehicle’s rear wheels to its rear bumper. A machine with a large departure angle – that is, one without much sheetmetal extending beyond its rear tires – can exit an off-road obstacle with greater ease compared to one with a small departure angle. The picture below helps illustrate.
Image: CJ Pony Parts Photo by https://www.cjponyparts.com/resources/jeep-wrangler-gladiator-off-road-angles
Other musings about this concept sketch? A swollen hood looks suspiciously like the one found on a V8-equipped Wrangler 392. There’s also some sort of extra bracing behind the cabin not currently found on the production Gladiator, though it’s tough to tell if this is a mere styling flourish like a light bar or something more substantial.
We’ll also note the conspicuous absence of any B-pillar; that side opening seems way too big for two-door duty, and it’s easy to see the presence of two rows of seats. The lack of structural support in this area strongly suggests this is a one-off concept, since such a configuration would likely be challenged to pass the various and sundry crash test evaluations deployed by the NHTSA and their merry band of crash test dummies.
Still, the nation’s best-selling pickup truck uses clamshell doors for its extended-cab model, and there is a latch of some sort on the aft part of this concept’s cabin. It would be a horrendously expensive proposition to build a shortened Gladiator-Wrangler cabin frame for extended-cab duty, but stranger things have happened.
Postmedia will have (dusty) boots on the ground at this year’s Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, scheduled for the second week in April. Stay tuned for our coverage.
Keyword: Jeep's new Moab teaser is for concept blending Wrangler, Gladiator