- Jeep revealed seven concepts ahead of this year’s Easter Jeep Safari, set to kick off on April 1.
- Among the concepts is the fully-electric ‘Magneto 3.0’, as well as a restomodded Jeep Cherokee, a Wrangler-based Scrambler 392 and an Overland-prepped Wagoneer.
- The TFL team will sample each of these concepts at EJS next week, so stay tuned for more updates!
Easter Jeep Safari is back once again, and with it we have a new batch of Jeep concepts!
Each iteration of Easter Jeep Safari brings more than 20,000 enthusiasts to the wild desert around Moab, Utah, and this year’s event is right around the corner. From April 1-9, Stellantis will show off seven distinct concepts, including a new (and final) iteration of the fully electric, Wrangler-based concept, now called ‘Magneto 3.0’. While we’ll cover each concept in further detail once the TFL team hits Moab next week, here’s a quick rundown of what each concept is all about.
Wrangler Rubicon 4xe Magenta concept
Remember Tuscadero Red? Jeep had such a successful run with the color that they went one further with this magenta concept. The color may not be to everyone’s taste, but at least the company actually offers interesting colors for the Wrangler lineup beyond your standard (and extremely boring) white, black, silver and gray, with maybe a red or blue thrown into the mix.
On the whole, this concept is still a Wrangler Rubicon 4xe at its core. This concept brings in the new gloss black seven-slotted grille that’s part and parcel of the 2023 20th anniversary models. You also get 17-inch AEV Borah wheels, AEV front and rear bumpers and a Warn Zeon winch. It is hiding one trick under the skin, which is an AccuAir adjustable air suspension kit. That allows the Wrangler 4xe better clearance for the 37-inch BFGoodrich mud-terrains, while the four-corner airbag setup lets you raise the vehicle up by anywhere from 1-1/2 to 5-1/2 inches.
Magneto 3.0 concept
Yep, the electric Magneto concept is back for what Jeep says is the final time. This third iteration makes a host of improvements to this Wrangler-based concept’s pure EV philosophy. At its heart, there’s a 70-kWh battery as well as a 6-speed manual (!) transmission. More specifically, the Magneto 3.0 uses the TR6060 unit out of a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, though it’s been beefed up to handle the wallop of torque the EV powertrain provides.
The 2023 iteration of the fully electric Wrangler concept uses a more efficient axial flux motor. That translates to increased torque — up to 900 lb-ft from 850. Jeep says it also unlocked 20% more range and “usable energy” from the battery, while you still get 625 horsepower (155 more than the 6.4-liter V8-powered Wrangler Rubicon 392). A two-stage power regeneration mode enhances the Magneto’s capability to put more juice back into the pack, while offering something closer to one-pedal driving off-road.
The Magneto 3.0 concept gets a custom anti-roll bar, as well as modified front fenders and a raked windshield to give it more of a “chopped” look without actually cutting down on the front glass. To that, the concept also sees a 3-inch custom lift to accommodate 40-inch mud-terrain tires on 20-inch beadlock-capable wheels. At the front, this concept gets a Dynatrac 60 front axle and a Dynatrac 80 rear axle, both at a 5.38:1 ratio.
Scrambler 392 concept
Back in 1981, Jeep introduced an extended version of the CJ-7 called the CJ-8 Scrambler as a convertible pickup truck. This concept pays homage to that unique idea, but brings it into the 21st century with a far more powerful V8 under the hood.
For this application, Jeep took a standard four-door Wrangler 392, complete with its 470 horsepower 6.4-liter engine putting out 470 lb-ft of torque. The development team then used carbon fiber bodywork to transform the rig’s aesthetic into a two-door, two-seat short bed pickup. Like the Magneto 3.0, the Scrambler’s windshield is raked back 12 degrees. This rig also gets the AccuAir suspension setup, 40-inch tires and custom 20-inch wheels.
Grand Wagoneer Overland concept
The next Easter Jeep Safari concept focuses on the brand’s largest, most luxurious SUV. This short wheelbase Grand Wagoneer gets the company’s new 3.0-liter Hurricane straight-six, putting out 510 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. To that, Jeep fitted a RedTail Overland Skyloft tent, made out of carbon fiber and deployable from inside the car in about 10 seconds.
On the “lower level”, as it were (Jeep removed the rear sunroof to fit a trap door for the tent), there are two oversized beanbags, a throw rug and custom ambient lighting. Up front, the Grand Wagoneer Overland concept gets a Warn Zeon winch, while there’s another recovery D-ring fitted into the hitch receiver around back. This car still sits on its stock suspension, but the 35-inch tires give it a natural 1.5-inch lift over the standard Grand Wagoneer, for better ground clearance and breakover.
1978 Jeep Cherokee 4xe restomod
It wouldn’t be an Easter Jeep Safari display without at least one restomod, and that’s where this 1978 Cherokee SJ comes in. The team bought the donor vehicle for this project for about $2,500 and proceeded to both restore the original shell and modify a Wrangler 4xe into the mix under its skin. In fact, you can see there’s still the “Wrangler” grab bar on the passenger side of the rig.
The new part of this restomod that was “affectionately blended” (Jeep’s words) into the design was the plug-in hybrid powertrain. With that, this Cherokee SJ gets an 8-speed automatic transmission and a 4:1 transfer case. Apart from the unique interior touches like the customized dashboard inlay, the Cherokee gets a (sadly non-functional) eight-track player, 37-inch tires and 17-inch “slotted mag” wheels.
JPP concepts: Wrangler Departure and Gladiator Sideburn
Stellantis always seizes the opportunity to showcase its parts catalog at Easter Jeep Safari and this year is no exception. The two entries we get this year are one Wrangler-based concept, called ‘Departure’, and a Gladiator-based concept called ‘Sideburn’.
The Sideburn (in Solar Flash Yellow) uses the standard 3.6-liter V6 engine, but brings in a Jeep Performance Parts 2-inch lift kit with Bilstein performance shocks. At each corner, you get 17-inch HRE six-spoke wheels and 37-by-13-inch BFGoodrich tires. The Sideburn also incorporates a pair of removable 11-inch TYRI rectangular lights, and there’s a concept JPP sport bar around back made from carbon fiber and steel.
As for the Departure, Jeep again elected to use a Wrangler Rubicon 4xe as a base. To that, they brought in a 2-inch JPP lift and 37-inch BFG tires on 17-by-8.5-inch KMC Impact OL wheels. Again, you get Bilstein shocks and TYRI rectangular lights, while the Departure gets flat fender flares with removable daytime running-light covers. You also get tubular doors and the grille guard also folds down into a bench that you can use while out on the trails (at least if it’s not boiling hot).
Stay tuned to our channels for more hands-on time with each of these seven concepts!
