Is there a Jeep pickup headed for dealers? We doubted it after the Jeep Gladiator concept got a thumbs down for production some time ago. Our latest spy photos show there might still be some life in the concept after all as KGP Photography snapped these recent photos of a SEMA-bound prototype. Some subsequent research on the project yielded some interesting ideas. Here's what KGP had to say:
The Gladiator concept pickup may be dead, but it appears that Jeep is taking another approach toward adding a pickup truck to its lineup.
According to Chrysler COO Eric Ridenour, the Gladiator was axed because it required its own unique platform. A production Jeep truck, if approved, would have to be a vehicle based on an existing body-on-frame architecture. Which brings us to the funky Wrangler-esque pickup prototype we spotted in Detroit, as it was being transported between two off-site facilities for final assembly work.
DaimlerChrysler has taken the cab of a Jeep Wrangler and raised its raised roof with thin safari-inspired window slits, giving this truck a uniquely vintage greenhouse shape. A new hood incorporates a grab handle, elongated blisters and a mesh grille most likely designed to allow heat to escape the engine bay. Makes sense, since there is one 5.7-liter HEMI V8 stuffed inside. New front fenders frame a traditional Wrangler grille, below which rests a winch for serious off-roading duty. The Rhino-lined truck bed design is very old- school, so the Wrangler tail-lights plunked at the corners look right at home. A rear winch set-up further solidifies this truck's trail- cred.
Intrigued by what we saw, we dug a little deeper, and it appears we have unearthed a clever program that may finally return a pickup to the Jeep model-range. Set for an introduction at the SEMA show in about a week, this new pickup concept reportedly consists of two variations. Sources familiar with the strategy tell us that DaimlerChrysler hopes to produce these pickups in small volumes at the Viper Plant, using mechanicals from the 2007 Wrangler, while aftermarket kits will also be made available to fit previous- generation Wranglers. We'll have to await the official announcement in about a week to see exactly how the distribution and manufacturing details will be carried out. But a program such as these Jeep pickups, if our information is correct, is the perfect marriage of the SEMA show's current status: It's a major manufacturer future- product announcement with a clever nod to the aftermarket built right in.
While we presume that the '07-based pickups will be sold through Jeep dealerships, we're told that the kits will reportedly be available to transform 1997-2006 Wranglers into the pickups you see here. Sources suggested that the kits will cost about $8,000-$10,000 (assembly not included), and would require lengthening the frame with parts supplied in the kit. The truck we photographed had a wheelbase extended to approximately 119-inches. Whether the modern DCX-built '07-based trucks will differ in its proportions, or will have any unique styling cues is currently unclear, but our insiders tell us that the modern-build and kit versions are very much the same in look and feel.
The truck you see here appears to be the resurrection of Jeep's pickup aspirations. We'll have to wait until the truck's official SEMA unveiling to see exactly how everything shakes out.
*UPDATE FROM KGP
The Wrangler-based pickups we photographed show an updated version of the AEV Brute pickup conversion done by American Expedition Vehicles. AEV has a strong history with Chrysler Corp., having DaimlerChrysler's Design Excellence Award at the 2002 SEMA show. According to our sources, AEV has created a new version of the Brute based on the all-new 2007 Wrangler, and has discussed some level of joint-venture manufacturing with DCX, utilizing the Viper plant as a prime niche-production site. AEV would take their business and production volumes to a new level, while DCX could
According to Chrysler COO Eric Ridenour, the Gladiator was axed because it required its own unique platform. A production Jeep truck, if approved, would have to be a vehicle based on an existing body-on-frame architecture. Which brings us to the funky Wrangler-esque pickup prototype we spotted in Detroit, as it was being transported between two off-site facilities for final assembly work.
DaimlerChrysler has taken the cab of a Jeep Wrangler and raised its raised roof with thin safari-inspired window slits, giving this truck a uniquely vintage greenhouse shape. A new hood incorporates a grab handle, elongated blisters and a mesh grille most likely designed to allow heat to escape the engine bay. Makes sense, since there is one 5.7-liter HEMI V8 stuffed inside. New front fenders frame a traditional Wrangler grille, below which rests a winch for serious off-roading duty. The Rhino-lined truck bed design is very old- school, so the Wrangler tail-lights plunked at the corners look right at home. A rear winch set-up further solidifies this truck's trail- cred.
Intrigued by what we saw, we dug a little deeper, and it appears we have unearthed a clever program that may finally return a pickup to the Jeep model-range. Set for an introduction at the SEMA show in about a week, this new pickup concept reportedly consists of two variations. Sources familiar with the strategy tell us that DaimlerChrysler hopes to produce these pickups in small volumes at the Viper Plant, using mechanicals from the 2007 Wrangler, while aftermarket kits will also be made available to fit previous- generation Wranglers. We'll have to await the official announcement in about a week to see exactly how the distribution and manufacturing details will be carried out. But a program such as these Jeep pickups, if our information is correct, is the perfect marriage of the SEMA show's current status: It's a major manufacturer future- product announcement with a clever nod to the aftermarket built right in.
While we presume that the '07-based pickups will be sold through Jeep dealerships, we're told that the kits will reportedly be available to transform 1997-2006 Wranglers into the pickups you see here. Sources suggested that the kits will cost about $8,000-$10,000 (assembly not included), and would require lengthening the frame with parts supplied in the kit. The truck we photographed had a wheelbase extended to approximately 119-inches. Whether the modern DCX-built '07-based trucks will differ in its proportions, or will have any unique styling cues is currently unclear, but our insiders tell us that the modern-build and kit versions are very much the same in look and feel.
The truck you see here appears to be the resurrection of Jeep's pickup aspirations. We'll have to wait until the truck's official SEMA unveiling to see exactly how everything shakes out.
*UPDATE FROM KGP
The Wrangler-based pickups we photographed show an updated version of the AEV Brute pickup conversion done by American Expedition Vehicles. AEV has a strong history with Chrysler Corp., having DaimlerChrysler's Design Excellence Award at the 2002 SEMA show. According to our sources, AEV has created a new version of the Brute based on the all-new 2007 Wrangler, and has discussed some level of joint-venture manufacturing with DCX, utilizing the Viper plant as a prime niche-production site. AEV would take their business and production volumes to a new level, while DCX could
rsholland says:
07:52 AM, 10/26/06
Interesting. I think the 116" wheelbase Wrangler 4-door looks a bit strange, but it could work just fine for a pickup. You mention a 119" wheelbase? Is that correct, or is it 116" like the 4-door Wrangler?
carspy007 says:
08:29 AM, 10/26/06
The measuring tape read about 119". It was definitely more than 116".
ant123 says:
08:43 AM, 10/26/06
WOW, that is a bad looking truck. What company does the mod kits?
roar02ram says:
08:46 AM, 10/26/06
It seems like Jeep could've just put in a bed where the 4-door Wrangler's back seat and trunk are (remember, the 4-door Wrangler has the most cargo space in the Jeep lineup) and created a 2-door pickup like that. It would've been rudimentary and crude...but then again, that would've been the point.
jim118 says:
09:55 AM, 10/26/06
Walk right up and photograph the engine bay? Looks staged.
detroittj02 says:
10:50 AM, 10/26/06
wowowow ... that thing looks great- pretty bad ass! i am pretty sure i saw one of these before at SEMA - it looked better than anything i have seen from chrysler/mopar - i think this is one of the 'brute' wranglers from American Expedition Vehicles (something like AEV.com) the website has pics of something similar. these guys make some seriously NICe stuff... i hope this is a kit - sign me up
estreka says:
11:28 AM, 10/26/06
I really like the idea of Jeep building a truck again, but I wonder if there's a market out there.
Small trucks aren't exactly the hot items they once were.
rsholland says:
11:59 AM, 10/26/06
All the more reason to offer one. :)
jim118 says:
12:06 PM, 10/26/06
Well as everyone was thinking, it's bogus. This is just a conversion from American Expedition Vehicles.
Anything to sell some "spy" photos I guess.
ateixeira says:
12:16 PM, 10/26/06
They ended up with a pretty small bed.
Though I'm sure the demographic that buys Jeeps for trail riding would be interested in the cargo carrying capacity this would have.
tjs4ever says:
02:00 PM, 10/26/06
AEV has hit a home run. The proportion and stance is magical. As far as small picks go I bet this one will have a bit more ROI than lets say "Chevy SSR" Sign me up the design is timeless and these dudes don’t cut corners. With only about 1.85m TJ's in the market place, I wounder if they'll sell any of these?
rockhop2 says:
08:31 PM, 10/26/06
I thought this looked like an AEV concept I saw at SEMA a couple years ago. It looks a lot more refined in this shot. The test will be to figure out how much bondo they had to use to get it ready for SEMA. Is it for sale now or just another "vision".
jerrywimer says:
04:18 AM, 10/27/06
I know a lot of hunters who would like something like this if the price was kept low enough. It would have to be kept very crude, as the entire purpose of the vehicle is clawing into and out of hunting areas and in messy clothes. NOT a situation for the majority of today's modern dressy trucks. A small utilitarian factory "beater" 4x4 truck, if you will..
jim118 says:
10:37 AM, 10/28/06
Talked to a friend who works with AEV last night. The whole thing was completely staged. KGP knew exactly what they were shooting, but tried to pass it off as something else. Nice way to do business guys.
I guess we all should've known it was staged to begin with when you had those few photos of the hood/engine bay that were cleary taken inside their garage bay.
firstwagon says:
02:02 PM, 10/28/06
Aren't most spy photos staged? If you really wanted to keep something secret, would you take it out on public roads? It's a clever way to get free publicity and get a buzz going on the street without having to make any offical committments as to when (or if ) a vehicle will hit the showroom.
Either way, that truck looks great!! Because it has has so many carry ver parts from the new Wrangler it should be cheap and easy for Jeep to get it in the show room.
When was the last time you saw a same pick up with a solid axle? It has potential to be a huge hit with the off road crowd. :)
firstwagon says:
02:04 PM, 10/28/06
Sorry, I meant a small pick up, not a same pick up. Must practice my typing.
jim118 says:
02:16 PM, 10/28/06
I dont know about most being staged, some definitely are. Whenever someone has photographed me in a prototype, it wasn't a planned occurrence. I usually just wave at the person and make a quick exit. No need to get all upset if the car is properly camouflaged. As for driving it on public roads, we have to. Can't engineer a vehicle without doing that.
The difference in this situation with the jeep is that KGP knew what they were shooting. AEV *was* in on this. Hell an AEV guy even took some of the photos. However KGP choose to say this AEV Jeep was something else in order to pad their wallets. If I was an editor at an automotive magazine or website that bought those photos, I'd be telling them I'm not paying.
ant123 says:
03:29 PM, 10/29/06
JIM118
Boy, looking at your blogs, i seems like you may be a jealous ass. You aren;'t an editor and I would believe that is because you aree one of the "Devils advocate", jerks. I hope hey do produce his so you can ea everything that you shit out of your mouth
jim118 says:
12:31 AM, 10/30/06
Gosh that was intelligent. You must work for KGP or AEV. Let us know when you actually have something thoughtful, and more importantly, legible/cohernet to say.
Why would I be jealous of editors? I'm an engineer. I dont write reviews about the cars, I MAKE the cars.
jdiels says:
02:57 PM, 11/12/06
staged or not staged isnt the point. what the truck market needs is a compact with off road capabilities at resonable price. If jeep could pull if off i'd be at the dealer standing in line for 1.