Jeep Goes Back to the Future for Easter Safari Concepts

CARS.COM — There are seemingly no limits when it comes to the Easter Jeep Safari concepts. From the futuristic to the retro, Jeep has unveiled a batch of concepts for the nine days of off-roading at the annual Jeep fest in Moab, Utah, on the area’s famous trails.

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“It’s truly a labor of love for the Jeep team to develop exciting, capable concept vehicles each year for Moab and the Easter Jeep Safari,” said Mike Manley, Jeep’s global brand chief, in a statement. “We look forward to the reaction and feedback from enthusiasts and our most loyal customers as these new Jeep concepts are put through their paces on the trails in Moab.”

It’s the 51st running of the event, which attracts thousands of Jeep faithful. The concepts this year include:

• Jeep Grand One, a concept so uncool, it’s cool (and my favorite). For the 25th anniversary of the seminal 1993 Grand Cherokee ZJ, Jeep created an update of the classic with a “’90s-inspired” interior that features a bedliner application instead of carpet and an old-school car phone. It gets a 2-inch lift, 33-inch tires on 18-inch retro lace-look wheels, front and rear axles with selectable locking differentials, a 5.2-liter V-8 engine and a four-speed automatic transmission.
• Jeep Safari, a see-through concept for viewing the wildlife in Moab. The roof is translucent and the aluminum frame door have clear vinyl, zippered panels. The “family-focused” concept has a translucent hardtop roof panel, its own drone on the roof rack, and rear bucket seats that are rotated outward to enjoy the view. The V-6 concept has off-road chops with a 2-inch lift, full-length skid plates and selectable differential lockers.
• Jeep Quicksand is the dune buggy of the concepts, with hot-rod details such as a winch concealed in a front-mounted “Moon” tank and a recovery rope in back where a drag racer’s parachute would be. It also has a chopped-look windshield and top. The hood has a cutout to view the Mopar 392 Crate Hemi engine and open exhaust headers so you know it’s coming.
• Jeep Trailpass is a version of the new-generation 2017 Jeep Compass Trailhawk model, with a 1.5-inch lift and 18-inch wheels with fat tires. It has a dress-up exterior and interior along with a Mopar/Thule roof basket with roof bag and traction mats.
• Jeep Switchback aims to be the top off-roader, with a 4-inch lift, 37-inch tires and Dana 44 axles. It has a concept hood, half-doors and roof rack, along with an array of LED lighting.
• Jeep CJ66, which was shown at the 2016 Specialty Equipment Market Association aftermarket show, is a generational retro stew. It combines a Wrangler TJ frame, a 1966 Wrangler CJ body and elements from the Wrangler JK models. Dropped into it is a 5.7-liter Hemi with a Mopar 345 Crate Hemi engine kit. It also has a range of off-road upgrades and custom Dodge Viper seats.
• Jeep Luminator is the light show of the concepts, created in partnership with Italian parts maker Magneti Marelli. It has high-tech LED lighting all over, including underbody rock lights, LED projector head lamps, LED taillights, A-pillar-mounted LED spotlights, LEDs on the bumper that with cornering fog lamps, low-profile LED spotlights behind the windshield, and a dynamic LED light bar on the hood that can scan for and shine on wildlife or hazard. If that’s not enough tech, it also features a rooftop solar panel and drone landing pad with lighted drone and the center high-mounted stoplight in back changes color depending on the speed of the Jeep.