After years of speculation, rumors and Jeep’s executives teasing us, it looks like we are going to get a proper pickup truck version based on the next Wrangler.
These are the first spy photos that finally prove that the first Jeep pickup truck since the 1992 Comanche is indeed happening, after concepts like the 2005 Gladiator, the 2012 J-12 and more recently the 2016 Crew Chief 715 that have never materialized.
The prototype you see here is wearing the four-door Unlimited body with a fairly sizeable bed hanging at the rear. Judging though by the placement of the rear wheels inside the wheel wells, we can safely assume that this is not going to be the final design, though.
The next-gen Wrangler, codenamed JL, is expected to enter production in Q4 of 2017. The pickup version, codenamed JT, will go into production in Q3 or Q4 of 2018, making the new model a MY2018. Both of them will be built at the Toledo plant.
Jeep has developed a new chassis for both models, focusing on weight-saving materials. Reports are suggesting though that there will be limited usage of aluminum in the platform’s construction.
Expect to see the new Wrangler generation with a new turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder, a 3.6-litre V6 and a turbo diesel engine. Jeep is currently toying with the idea of offering also a plug-in hybrid variant but only if it will fit the proper off-road character of their iconic model.
PHOTO GALLERY
