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Hands on with the concepts of the Moab Easter Jeep Safari

Jeep has a way of tugging at the heartstrings of its enthusiastic owner base when the annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari rolls around. The 2015 version sees all boxes ticked in the off-road event's 49th year: multiple diesel engines on display, a pickup-truck-like model and more than a few nods to the brand's long and storied history book. We were able to get a first-hand look at the seven concepts being shown in Utah's Red Desert in the much cooler, cleaner confines of the FCA Technical Center's Design Dome. Jeep Chief Concept We aren't sure if it's that throwback chrome grille or the eye-catching Ocean Blue paint, but even more than the Red Rock Responder, the Chief drew our eye as soon as we walked into the Design Dome. It's a surprisingly tall vehicle, but it's also very wide. We'd also wager it's longer than your typical four-door Wrangler. Jeep may have used a Wrangler as a base for the Chief, but any similarities to the donor vehicle are extremely difficult to spot. The fenders and doors are probably the biggest giveaways, but you're going to need to squint (and have the benefit of a Wrangler to compare with, like we did) to pick out Wrangler bits. As is the recurring theme throughout all seven concepts, the Jeep design team's attention to detail is borderline fanatical. From the "Surf Rated" badge on the fenders, to the tweaked door handles to the bumper stickers in the cargo area and the Tiki-statue-shaped shifter, the little details are truly the stars of the Chief Concept. The rosewood trim in the rear cargo area is stunning and adds to the Beach-Boy-friendly stylings of the Chief. The throwback grille, round headlights and tall, skinny taillights, meanwhile, add a lot of personality to the exterior. The high beltline and lower roof gives the Chief a chop-topped look, but it's arguably the least successful element to the blue concept's otherwise impressive design. All of the vehicles Jeep put together for Moab are 100-percent functional. That's not surprising with some of the vehicles you'll see below, but it somehow is remarkably impressive given the degree of the changes Jeep made in putting together the Chief. Jeep Wrangler Red Rock Responder The Wrangler-based Red Rock Responder is arguably one of the most capable of these real-world vehicles, both in terms of the way it looks and its actual hardware. We mentioned the special rescue equipment fitted to the bright-red, truck-like Jeep – a compressor and air gun, sockets, tow straps, etc.

It lives! Our first glimpse of the Jeep Wrangler pickup

Okay, it's real now. We've been hearing rumors for years, and Jeep officials have confirmed a pickup will be added to the next-gen Wrangler lineup, but now we have our first photographic evidence of the long-awaited variant. It looks huge, and we're totally okay with that. These photos show a very-long-wheelbase Wrangler with a decent-size pickup bed. It looks to be about the same overall size as the AEV Brute Double Cab Wrangler pickup conversion, which itself is about the length of a Suburban. The bed appears to be in the five-foot range, maybe slightly shorter than the standard box of a half-ton truck. And those taillights, or at lest the covers on them, recall the shape of the lights on a Ram. These overhead shots also give a better look at the next Wrangler's evolved seven-slot grille. We see bigger spacing between thinner ribs, which would seem antithetical to the goal of improving the Wrangler's traditionally poor aerodynamics. It's possible FCA is using an air shutter to manage airflow, as it does on the Ram pickups and some other products. Related Gallery 2018 Jeep Wrangler Detailed Spy Photos View 18 Photos To recap what we know about the next Wrangler: It's expected to offer a gas V6 once again, as well as a turbocharged four-cylinder nicknamed Hurricane and an EcoDiesel-branded diesel engine. There have also been rumors of a hybrid powertrain. We don't yet know how many of those engines will make it to the pickup, but at least one gas engine and the diesel are safe bets. People love the idea of diesel Jeep pickups. We also know from interior spy photos that at least some of those new powertrains will use an eight-speed automatic. That, the modern engines, and improved aero will help the Wrangler be more efficient while still retaining much of its rugged, blocky look. The two- and four-door Wranglers are expected for the 2018 model year, with the pickup following for 2018 or 2019. Related Video:

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee pricing leaks out

With our deep dive and auto show coverage of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee revealed at the Detroit Auto Show, we brought you as much information as Chrysler would allow us to, but one thing we're still left in the dark about was the pricing. It would seem that Jeep Garage might have the answer for that. The Jeep enthusiast forum claims to have gotten its hands on the ordering and pricing breakdown for the updated Grand Cherokee, and while a Jeep representative has yet to get back to us as to the validity of the site's claim, these preliminary numbers look pretty kosher to us.
In base form, the two-wheel-drive Laredo will reportedly start at $28,795, which is a $1,100 increase over the 2013 model year, and the new Grand Cherokee Summit trim level starts at $47,995 for 4x2 models and $50,995 for the 4x4. Waiting for the new diesel engine? The torquey new 3.0-liter oil-burner will be a $4,500 option on Limited, Overland and Summit 4x4 models, but 4x2 pricing (and availability) are not known. As for the range-topping Grand Cherokee SRT (no longer called the SRT8), this added performance could run you an extra $2,700 with a new starting price of $62,995. More importantly, loaded to the gills with all available options, the 2014 Grand Cherokee SRT will top out at around $72,400 - or around $6,000 more than a fully loaded 2013 GC SRT8.
We'll let you know if the gang over at Jeep get back to us with any confirmation, but until then, head over to Jeep Garage to see the pricing details it has listed.