The good people at Allpar.com unearthed some very interesting information about the oft-rumoured resurrection of a small pickup bearing the Jeep name. We had reported as recently as August that a Jeep pickup based on the Gladiator Concept shown at the 2005 Detroit auto show had been axed because of the cost to develop the vehicle on its own unique platform. It turns out that all this while Jeep had been working on another pickup that actually is based on the Wrangler platform, and would therefore be less expensive and easier to produce. Rumored to be called the Scrambler, the truck will be unveiled at the SEMA show next week in Las Vegas with a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 underhood, winches front and back, an oversized wheel/tire combo and additional styling tweaks like safari slits on the raised roof. The SEMA show is an apt venue to present the Scrambler, since it's expected that Jeep will also announce that the pickup bed will be made available as a kit for those interested in retrofitting their 1997-2006 Wranglers. The kit would likely cost between $8,000 and $10,000, not including installation, and also require lengthening the Wrangler's frame using parts supplied with the kit. Doesn't sound like a DIY affair for a lazy autumn afternoon, but the prospect of a new compact pickup entering the market is exciting. Through sheer apathy, Ford finds itself offering the only compact pickup with its age-old Ranger, as the competition has all grown in size and power over the years. A new compact pickup from Jeep that's priced right, trail-rated and practically useful could be a big score. Such a vehicle powered by a torquey four-cylinder or light-duty diesel engine could also be extremely popular in these fuel conscious times, as well. Click the Read link to see more pics and read the inside scoop from Allpar.com.
[Source: Allpar.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
M. @ Oct 26th 2006 12:23PM
Age old Ranger? The current Rander is just one year old, has good European Diesels and cool suicide doors:
http://www.globalautoindex.com/news.plt?no=1416
Bill @ Oct 26th 2006 12:28PM
Lose the winch and Hemi. I just want a simple, reliable, compact no-nonsense truck that doesn't cost a fortune, gets the job done, and doesn't require a coal-car as a trailer to fuel it. Like my old 93 Mazda B2300.
Rock @ Oct 26th 2006 12:34PM
Reminds me of my Dad's '53 Willys 4WD pickup. Simple and capable, no frills. Ditch the Hemi and install a clean economical diesel.
Schmack @ Oct 26th 2006 12:39PM
The wheels in one of the photos look just like the ones that AEV conversions sell. Don't be surprised if this is the new AEV Brute.
Ryan H @ Oct 26th 2006 12:53PM
AEV Wheels, AEV Heat reduction hood, Hemi-swap AEV is famous for...I would go out on a limb and say this is just an AEV Brute.
required @ Oct 26th 2006 12:57PM
no one is going to spend $20K for the Wrangler + another $10K in parts & labor to get a Jeep Pickup. (hacking the frame?? are they kidding??) for that money, people will buy a Dodge PowerWagon
They should make that a body-style option and price it the same as the regular Wranglers to have it be viable in the market.
beaker @ Oct 26th 2006 1:00PM
Schmack: it also has an AEV hood.
I hope they don't do the 4-cyl. I've got one, and it sucks for anything other than city driving. My friend with a Rubicon gets better fuel economy on highway and trail. Obviously, he's got more power, too. Either way, they MUST put a good diesel in it. It would be stupid not to.
Juan @ Oct 26th 2006 1:04PM
At least 8k for the bed? That's nuts.
The Wrangler, I'll say it again, is not a very complex vehicle. Why hasn't a third party made a modular bed for them yet?
dreesemonkey @ Oct 26th 2006 1:42PM
Going along with what others have said, this would be very very cool with a good diesel, i.e. not the one in the liberty. I've been whining that there are no compact diesel truck options in this country, this would be a very good start.
Pinkerton @ Oct 26th 2006 2:27PM
Agree w/ #2. Lose the Hemi, give it a small torqy engine. I'll take mine in gun-metal gray with a blue denim interior. Just kidding, but that would be so sweet.
It looks like a modern version of the old Willys truck...
http://www.public.asu.edu/~grover/willys/g8/ghtml8/f48.html
J-money @ Oct 26th 2006 2:53PM
I agree with Ryan H - I think it's just a different version of the Brute: www.aev-conversions.com . The AEV guys seem to have something going for them because Jeep has mimicked most of their ideas into production, from the longer wheelbase wrangler to the four-door version of the wrangler. They were also one of the first to figure out the Hemi retrofit into a wrangler.
Erik @ Oct 26th 2006 5:15PM
1) Why is this based on the TJ and not the JK?
2) That hard top had better be removable
Greg A. @ Oct 26th 2006 8:26PM
"Ford finds itself offering the only compact pickup with its age-old Ranger"
What about the Subaru Baja? Is that considered a subcompact pickup, or not even a pickup?
#1 "Age old Ranger? The current Rander is just one year old, has good European Diesels and cool suicide doors"
John Neff is referring to the U.S.-market Ranger.
Jeep Reviews @ Oct 27th 2006 11:55AM
Just like the AEV Brute? I hope so, those things are sweet looking. I'll take one with a LA lift and 35's please.
I agree, a Hemi is overkill here (the 4.0L is plenty for my TJ), diesel would interesting too if it's quiet enough.
NEBTEK2002 @ Oct 27th 2006 12:27PM
The little box on that thing doesn't compare favorably with even the ridiculous fat-fender-look Ranger box. To someone who uses his Ranger in city delivery, this thing's a toy.
The 4-cyl. Ranger, if my 9 years' experience counts for anything, is economical and dependable; while Jeeps have a bad reputation on both counts.
That said, I think 4WD and 6-cylinder Ranger models are ripoffs. The economy and price are comparable to a Silverado Classic.
Jerry Crump @ Oct 27th 2006 9:22PM
While perusing the Jeep display at the 2006 State Fair of Texas 18 October, I asked the Jeep guys if a diesel was going to be made available in the north american market, expecting to hear some "well, that's possible but we don't know" kind of answer. They rather said that a DIESEL ENGINE WAS APPROVED for the north american market, although they did not know what configuration nor from whom it would be sourced. This was all the information they had. Anyone know anything more?
fhlh @ Nov 4th 2006 4:01PM
to post 2.
go buy a Toyota Tacoma and STFU... mmmk... thanks.
Cliff Cady @ Nov 6th 2006 11:57AM
It looks good to me. It's nice to see them working on a pickup which is what people have been asking for. The conversion kit is apparently just for people who could not wait to buy one. How long is the wait till they make them?