If it's Easter then it's time to head to Moab, Utah for the annual Easter Jeep Safari - a massive yearly event to celebrate all things Jeep and to get some serious off-roading done.
"Every year, more than 20,000 Jeep enthusiasts descend on Moab, Utah, for Easter Jeep Safari to drive in the most extreme off-road conditions, where our engineers continue to push the capability of our Jeep vehicles to next levels," said Jim Morrison, senior vice president and head of Jeep brand North America. "It's the perfect place to showcase our seven new Jeep concepts, because it's with these Jeep enthusiasts that we'll be able to push the limits even more and get their feedback on where they want to take the Jeep brand into the future."
Muddy Geneva motor show...
With those 20,000 Jeep fans on-site, it makes sense to give them some interesting stuff to look at, and so each year, Jeep shows up to Moab with a bunch of concept cars. It's like a rocky, out-doors Geneva Motor Show, with just one brand.
Jeep is looking to the electric future this year with a Wrangler-based concept called the Magneto 3.0. Originally designed around a 2020 Wrangler Rubicon (the serious off-roading model), Magneto features a custom-built axial flux electric motor that operates up to 6,000 rpm and connects to a six-speed manual transmission for ultimate control. The motor was, back in 2020, tuned to deliver up to 370Nm of torque and 285hp, but Jeep has been steadily updating the Magneto concept each year to make it better and more forward-looking.
This year, the Magneto gets a new motor, which is 20 per cent more efficient and allows the driver to choose between the original power settings or a max-power boost to 650hp and 1,220Nm of torque(!).
There's a two-stage brake energy regeneration mode, one for on-road and one for off-road, and what Jeep calls an 'aggressive' hill descent control that gives you one-pedal control in rock crawling mode.
Jeep has also modified the Magneto's body with a new, sleeker windscreen and a bigger door opening. The cabin is a two-seater, and the rear floor has been Rhino-lined in Surf Blue for added functionality and durability. The original white-and-blue colour scheme has been retained, but it's been updated for 2023 with some red accents.
Scrambler concept
Jeep is also bringing the Scrambler 391 concept. This is again Wrangler-based, but this time the body is that of the chunky Gladiator pickup truck. The concept is a tribute to the original Scrambler pickup of the early 1980s and gets a 470hp 6.4-litre Hemi V8 engine (hence the 392 - 392 cubic inches) and a lightweight carbon-fibre body. The roof is lower than the standard Gladiator for more of a hot-rod look, and the windscreen is sleeker. It also gets a trick air suspension system which can lift the body by as much as 140mm when needed.
In the centre of the bonnet, the Scrambler gets a see-through panel to show off its mighty Hemi V8 engine, and it rides on custom-made 20-inch wheels.
Possibly the best-looking car at the event is the 1978 Jeep Cherokee 4xe Concept. Based on a Jeep Cherokee SJ - the sporty, two-door variant of the original Wagoneer - this one has been modified to sit on a modern Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid chassis. There's a none-more-70s multi-colour paint scheme on the outside, but underneath, there's a new four-cylinder turbo engine, electric motor, batteries, and a useful zero-emissions range. Also; all hail the gorgeous custom 17-inch "slotted mag" style wheels.
While the Cherokee 4xe concept sits on a Wrangler 4xe chassis, there's also a brand new Wrangler 4x4 plug-in hybrid in the show. The Rubicon 4xe concept wears dramatic magenta bodywork with gloss black accents. Inside are custom-made seats with animal print designs, while underneath, there's bespoke air suspension, massive 37-inch off-roading tyres, and a winch.
The Grand Wagoneer Overland concept is possibly the Jeep concept we'd most like to take home. Or, for that matter, leave our homes and just move in. Jeep's super-sized luxury model (which isn't going to be coming to Ireland, sadly) is taking the roof tent idea to a new level of comfort. Up front, there's a 510hp 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six 'Hurricane' engine, which Jeep says offers V8 power with much better fuel economy.
Up top, more importantly, there's a custom RedTail Overland Skyloft roof tent, which unfolds in around 10 seconds from the inside by simply pushing up with one arm. Inside the Grand Wagoneer, the rear seats have been taken out, and the rear sunroof repurposed as a hatch through which you can access the roof tent. The SkyLoft is fully heated, and Jeep says it provides: "a sleeping space for two people and enough windows to soak in even the most panoramic views."
Beanbags and pillows
Downstairs, so to speak, the Grand Wagoneers boot gets a truck bed-lined cargo floor so that you can change out of muddy or dirty hiking gear before heading up to the nice bedroom above. The interior also gets two oversized beanbags, a plush throw rug, pillows, and custom, ambient interior lighting, and storage for bikes and other camping gear. There are also 35-inch tires wrapped around custom 18-inch wheels, giving the car extra ride height so you can get seriously out into the wilderness.
Next up is the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe Departure concept, which, aside from its plug-in hybrid tech, gets dramatic cut-away bodywork for maximum off-roading ability. At the back, you can hang the spare wheel out the rear of the body or swing it inside so you can tackle steeper slopes, while up front, there's a fold-down bumper bench built into the custom-made front end of the car, which gives you somewhere nice to sit and admire the views.
The Departure concept also gets lots of exterior lighting, from 11-inch (28 cm) TYRI rectangular LED lights mounted to the top of the folding windscreen to little 'rock lights' at the corners of the bodywork for night off-roading.
Finally, the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon Sideburn concept marries V6 engine power to special Bilstein suspension. The Bilsteins shocks use remote reservoirs to provide a greater cooling capability for increased suspension travel and improved off-road capability.
The Sideburn also gets wires strung from the edge of the bonnet to the top of the windscreen, which help to ease tree branches out of the way, while there's a special load-bed out the back which is specifically designed to hold liquid cargo - we're not sure if they mean extra fuel or just beer for the camp-out. There are also cut-down doors for a more open-air feel and the same bumper bench seen on the Departure concept.