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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.

Canadians build Jeep Wrangler out of cans for charity

The Jeep Wrangler can do a lot of things. It can traverse most any terrain, take you to work, the kids to school, get you and your friends to the surf on time, and so on. Turns out it can also feed the hungry – or at least this one can. And by can, we mean actual cans of food. To celebrate Canada Day (which was Wednesday), Jeep recreated a Wrangler out of more than 4,500 cans of food. The project was undertaken together with Canstruction Inc, a charity that works to fight hunger and poverty, serve the community, and promote science, technology, engineering, and math. The full-scale replica took a team of teenagers a good 12 hours to build. It's being displayed at Vancouver's waterfront Canada Place during the festivities, after which it will be dismantled to provide 3,120 meals for the hungry through the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. This is the second such project we've seen FCA Canada undertake together with Canstruction. Last time it was a Dodge Grand Caravan created to celebrate the minivan's 30th anniversary. It was built out of 30,000 cans and displayed in downtown Toronto before being distributed as 2,000 food baskets through the Daily Bread Food Bank. Next time maybe we'll see a Viper or Challenger made out of cans on display in Montreal during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend and donated to the Old Brewery Mission, which this writer knows first-hand does good work to feed Montrealers in need. Related Video: JEEP® AND THE FCA FOUNDATION CELEBRATE CANADA DAY WITH LIFE-SIZE 'CANSTRUCTION®' OF JEEP® WRANGLER FOR CHARITY - Full-scale Jeep® Wrangler built from over 4,500 cans of food will provide more than 3,120 meals to Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society - Vehicle built by local students 12-18 years of age - Jeep and the FCA Foundation again partnered with Canstruction® Inc. for the build, an international non-profit organization that aims to raise awareness for hunger and poverty, along with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) principals, plus community service - Public can stop by Canada Place on Canada Day to take a #JeepCANselfie in the vehicle - In 2014, FCA Canada was the top-selling automaker in B.C., a title it's retained thus far in 2015 - Jeep Wrangler is B.C.'s best-selling small SUV by more than double its closest competitor July 1, 2015 , Vancouver, B.C.

Happy 50th birthday, Jeep Wagoneer

The Wagoneer got the SUV on the radar of buyers looking for something capable, comfortable and rugged.
The Jeep Wagoneer was introduced 50 years ago, and it's that vehicle we have to thank for the herds of excellent crossovers and SUVs that make up our current automotive landscape. On a personal level, I have always loved the full-size Jeeps and their crisp Brooks Stevens styling, which aged well over their long tenure on the market. The SJs, as they're known among enthusiasts, were the Wagoneer and its two-door counterpart, the original Cherokee. The Wagoneers had become true luxury vehicles by the end of their run, which stretched form late 1962 as a '63 model all the way to 1991, when they were offered exclusively under the Grand Wagoneer nameplate.