Jeep has revealed seven concept vehicles ahead of their debut at the 49th annual Easter Jeep Safari which kicks off on 28 March.

EVERY YEAR Jeep raids the parts bins of Mopar and Jeep Performance to build up concepts to show off at the Easter Jeep Safari held at Moab, Utah in the US. The event attracts thousands of Jeep fans each year, and this year they’ll have seven new concept vehicles to drool over.

“Jeep is proud to be taking seven new eye-catching and extremely capable vehicles to the Easter Jeep Safari, where we expect to delight our most loyal enthusiasts,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand. 

“We go to this legendary event each year to showcase our latest Jeep production vehicles, as well as a variety of new ideas in our concept vehicles. In doing so, we receive a tremendous amount of valuable feedback, while interacting with our customers in the Jeep brand’s natural environment. We’re especially looking forward to this year’s Jeep Safari, as Renegade makes its official public debut on Moab’s demanding trails.”

According to Jeep, the seven concepts being shown this year feature a raft of concept and production parts from the new Jeep Performance line which has been designed and engineered by Mopar. “The Jeep Performance Parts (JPP) line meeting strict Jeep specifications, with 4×4 capability and craftsmanship so owners can transform their stock rides into even more capable trail performers,” Jeep said. 

The 2015 Easter Jeep Safari concept vehicles include:

Jeep Chief

A tribute to the classic 1970s era full-size Jeep Cherokee, this Wrangler-based concept is designed to “evoke the west coast surfer lifestyle of sun and fun with a nod to nostalgic beach rides”.

Custom exterior design cues include a vintage Ocean Blue exterior color scheme with a white, French Bread roof; a custom modified razor grille that the original Wagoneer made famous; halogen headlamps; removable sides for an open-air feel and flexible hauling; chrome front and rear bumpers and classic, 17-inch slotted mag wheels.

The interior gets Jeep-designed “Surfer” pink, blue and white flowered cloth and leather-trimmed seats; vintage-style surf stickers on the center console and door handles; a Rosewood front-passenger grab handle and tiki-style shifter handle; and Uconnect 8.4-inch touchscreen media centre.

The doors and windscreen were chopped two inches and the Jeep Chief sports a selection of Jeep Performance Parts, including a two-inch lift kit with Fox shocks and front and rear Dana 44 axles with lockers, cold air intake and modified Rubicon rock rails. The Chief is powered by the 3.6-litre Pentastar V-6 engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

Jeep Staff Car

The Jeep Staff Car was built as a salute to legendary Jeep military service vehicles. The function over form of the original Jeep military vehicles is evident in the Staff Car.  Basic steel wheels, minimalist fender flares, “hungry horse” stretched canvas roof and bench seats all give off a suitably military vibe.

The exterior features a Sandstorm color scheme that is carried throughout the vehicle including the wheels, frame and axles. The Jeep Staff Car has no B-pillar and no doors. Jeep designers incorporated military-style round headlamps, Jeep J8 front and rear bumpers, fender-mounted blackout lamp with guards and a rear-mount spare tire and vintage military gas can. The Jeep Staff Car sits on 16-inch wheels with 35-inch Firestone NDT military tires.

The minimalist interior features low-backed bench seats in the first and second row, an integrated roll cage and a painted steel floor in place of carpet. A built-in cooler draws its inspiration from an old artillery box and can accommodates, er, 85 cans.

The Jeep Staff Car is powered by the 3.6-litre Pentastar V-6 engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The Staff Car has a Jeep Performance Parts 2-inch lift kit with Fox shocks and front and rear Dana 44 axles.

Jeep Wrangler Africa

The Africa is, says Jeep, the ultimate Jeep Wrangler for back-country and overland expeditions, with room for extra gear and auxiliary fuel tanks.

The Wrangler four-door-based vehicle sports a Desert Tan exterior paint, a high-clearance steel front bumper with winch, power step rock rails, power dome vented hood and an extended rear body and high-top roof. Powered by a 2.8-litre diesel engine mated to an automatic transmission, the Wrangler Africa also features fender-mounted auxiliary fuel cans. The Africa sports 17-inch body color steel wheels with 35-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tires.

The Jeep Wrangler Africa is outfitted with a two-inch lift kit with Fox shocks, sway bar links and front and rear Dana 44 axles from Jeep Performance Parts. The spare tire is underbody-mounted and the cargo area, inner roof and floor are finished in a durable spray-in truck bed coating.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Overlander

The Grand Cherokee-based Overlander concept has been customised who want to head deep into the bush and camp out of their vehicle. 

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Overlander gets a Sage Green paint job. Custom features include a one-off front fascia, integrated front winch, tow hooks, larger wheel flares, SRT taillamps and hood, off-road rock rails, front and rear skid plates and 18-inch milled wheels with BF Goodrich All-terrain T/A tires. To top it off, the Grand Cherokee Overlander has a durable spray-in truck bed coating on the roof and a two-person hard-shell rooftop tent that is easily deployable.

The powertrain is the 3.0-litre diesel V-6 engine mated to an eight-speed Torqueflight transmission.

Jeep Renegade Desert Hawk

The latest addition to the Jeep lineup (which arrives in Australia later this year), the Jeep Renegade, is the basis for the Desert Hawk concept vehicle, and is equipped with a selection of Mopar and Jeep Performance Parts.

The Desert Tan exterior features a Jeep Performance Parts body decal, a topographical hood decal that depicts the Fins and Things Moab trail, off-road rock rails and a skid plate kit. Also featured are Mopar’s trailer hitch receiver and roof rack.  

On the inside, the Renegade Desert Hawk has been outfitted with Mopar Katzkin seat covers, body color bezel accents and Mopar all-weather floor mats. The Renegade Desert Hawk is powered by the 2.4-litre Tigershark engine with MultiAir2 mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission with Jeep Active Drive Low.

Jeep Cherokee Canyon Trail

The Canyon Trail concept vehicle is developed from the Jeep Cherokee, which gets a Desert Tan paint job and a Satin Black hood that includes a topographical hood decal showcasing Hell’s Revenge, a renowned off-road trail in Moab. The exterior also displays Jeep Performance Parts body decal. 

The Canyon Trail interior features Mopar Katzkin leather seat covers and accent stitching, Jeep Performance Parts embroidered logo on the headrests,  body color bezel accents, a cargo tray mat, Jeep Cargo Management System, Moab Off-road bag and all-weather floor mats.

Off-road capability has been improved with the addition of JPP off-road rock rails, a two-piece fuel tank skid plate, two-piece underbody skid plate, oil pan and front suspension skid plates, as well as concept 17-inch painted wheels with BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A tires, which provide an additional one-half inch of lift.

The Jeep Cherokee Canyon Trail is powered by the 2.4-litre Tigershark MultiAir2 I-4 engine mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission with Jeep Active Drive Lock, which includes low range and a locking rear differential. 

Jeep Wrangler Red Rock Responder

Based on the Jeep Wrangler, the Red Rock Responder is a support vehicle purpose-built to traverse the world’s harshest terrain with premium off-road equipment to respond to any vehicle emergency with spare parts and tools stored in the built-in drawers and compartments of the cargo box.

With a Vibrance Responder Red exterior paint, Jeep Performance Parts body decal, 10th Anniversary hood with hydraulic hood props, high-top fender flares and 17-inch beadlock wheels with body color beadlock ring, the Red Rock Responder stands out on any trail. In addition, the vehicle sports LED headlamps and foglamps, LED A-pillar and off-road lamps.

Functional capability is increased with the addition of 37-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM2 tires, four inches of JPP lift, Fox shocks, and front and rear Dana 60 axles with 5.38 gearing from Jeep Performance Parts. The vehicle also sports a cold-air intake, prototype off-road rock rails and a Warn winch.

Side cargo boxes on each side of the vehicle hold a hi-lift jack and accessories, fire extinguisher, road side accessory kit, first aid kit, Snap-on tool soft bags and recovery kit. It also stores an air hose and accessories, a dual compressor and air reservoir and has room for a cooler or a case of water.

The interior stands out along with the exterior with embroidered black and red Mopar Katzkin leather seats, Jeep Performance Parts logo embroidered on the headrests, red accent bezels, grab handles and all-weather floor mats.

The Jeep Wrangler Red Rock Responder is powered by the 3.6-litre Pentastar V-6 engine mated to an automatic transmission.