In this week’s Ask Nathan:
- Jeep must build the J6 Honcho – or else!
- Hydrogen is a waste of time!?
A fan thinks that the Jeep J6 Honcho pickup truck concept would bring people back to the brand.
Q: (Via: AskNathan@TFL.com): The best way to save Jeep is to build the J6 Honcho for real!
I own a Gladiator Sport and it’s a great truck, except it is not so little and I wished and wished that Jeep would make a smaller version of this. When I saw the Jeep J8 Concept that you guys drove during the 2025 Easter Jeep Safari, I was very curious. Tommy seemed to think that this could make it to production. I wanted to get your perspective on it. I would totally trade in my Gladiator for one because it addresses one of my biggest issues with the Gladiator. It is so long that it makes off roading hard. I go off road a lot and having something lighter and smaller with a good 4×4 system is important. The only reason I have a Gladiator is because I need something to haul tools during the week and my mountain bikes on the weekend. I think the J8 Honcho would be great for that.
— What do you think?
A: I have to admit, it looks great; but…
I have a hard time believing that Jeep/Stellantis has the budget to build something that won’t accomodate more than two people. They have to look at how a production vehicle like this will give them a good return on their investment. Sure, this might sell well for a year or two, but there are too many consumers who would complain that it can’t hold more people. This would most likely be a $35 – $40,000 truck, which would start with the disadvantage with passenger space, and (possibly) price.
I just don’t see Jeep taking the gamble on going all-in on production. On the other hand, there’s a chance that they would consider making this a MOPAR kit, like the J8 conversion. The JK-8 pickup conversion kit (to be used with the JK four-door Unlimited) cost about $5,500 – and that was before labor. I’ve seen a few here and there, and even talked to a guy who added the conversion himself, which took about a month, pretty much solo. He seemed happy, but it was a bit flimsy.
From what we’ve seen this this J6 Honcho seems like it could be a much more complete package, one that might be a popular kit – if the pricing was reasonable. One of the issues with the old kit was the towing and payload numbers were poor. Unlike the Gladiator, which is truly built to tow and haul, the frame of the JL – not so much.
We’ll see what Jeep has in store soon. I hope.
— N
The next paraphrased question/statement has to do with people’s reluctance to consider EV or hydrogen tech for trucks.
Q: (Via: YouTube – paraphrasing comments and texts about EV and hydrogen trucks)
There is no future with electric or hydrogen trucks…
— Many comments over the past few years
A: After a few videos we put together regarding hydrogen power and EV powered trucks…
Rather than argue about energy density, or the potential for future applications, I thought these videos would help answer some of that. I do want to include something: I have never believed in “one size fits all” for any technical solution. In some places it makes more sense to use one thing over another. It’s just that simple to me, and I think there are some out there that agree with me.
— N
