It has been a long time coming. People have been hungrily devouring every spy photo of it since 2016. The maker is taking its own sweet time to launch it. So where is Jeep at with the Wrangler Pickup?
A pickup truck based on the Jeep Wrangler is not a new phenomenon, with Jeep itself having manufactured one such model between 1981 to 1985. The pickup truck is making a comeback for 2019 model year, building upon the JL-generation Wrangler's platform which was introduced this year. However, the news does not end here.
Spy shots show two test mules of the pickup with different sets of tyres. One of the test mules sports a set of Falken Wildpeak M/T in 285/70 R17. The size puts the tyre at roughly 33 inches, making it identical to the tyre size on the Wrangler Rubicon. This could mean that the truck sitting on the Falkens could be a Rubicon variant. It is worth noting though, that the Wrangler Rubicon wears a set of BF Goodrich All-Terrain TA KO2 rubber. The Falken tyres on the test mule have not been used on any factory Wrangler till now. It could be the case that the Wrangler pickup needs tyres with a different load rating or perhaps Jeep is simply testing an alternative to the venerable Goodrich tyres. It will be interesting to see whether the test tyres appear on the production version.
The other test mule is shod with street-oriented tyres. The 255/70 R18 Bridgestone Dueler H/Ts the truck is rolling on also make an appearance on the JL-generation Wrangler Sahara as an option. We take this to mean that a luxurious Sahara version of the pickup truck is also in the works. Other interesting tidbits visible through the spy shots include what looks like a split removable hardtop over the front seats. Both the JL-generation two-door as well as four-door Wranglers offer this nifty feature.
Overall, the Wrangler pickup looks like a great product. The proportions seem to be fitting, the bare-basic appeal still shines through the camouflage, and there is no doubting the front fascia both these pickups will wear, which echoes that of the JL-Wrangler. You might wonder what name could Jeep be thinking for this new car. Well, the 1981-85 pickup truck sold under the moniker 'Scrambler'. Doesn't it sound like quite a fitting name for the new pickup? Jeep Scrambler, we quite like the ring of that.
Images: Spied Bilde
