Concept or Real: Is This The New JL Wrangler?

Every time a new model vehicle comes out, the existing fans seem to group off into different camps. Those who love it and those who hate it. In the Jeep scene, it is an unspoken tradition to ridicule the newest rendition of the heritage. When the JK Wrangler came out, the masses lost their minds that it four doors and power windows could be purchased. Now, some eleven model years later, the JK is the most popular four-wheel drive SUV in history and the vast majority of them Unlimited models with four doors.

The impending JL Wrangler is no different. Jeep has gotten extremely well versed in playing with the masses to see what they like and what they don’t like. Concepts get built, questions are asked and answered and the designers typically listen, to an extent. Reddit user “acrsreddit” happened upon one of those in-between concepts and now has a little bit of internet fame because of it.

The Reddit user got the chance to go to the Chrysler Tech Center and found a bunch of concepts out for everyone to see. Most of the concepts were the ones Mopar unveiled at the 2016 Easter Jeep Safari but when he posted his pictures to the /r/Jeep subreddit, fellow Jeepers quickly asked about the last photo in his slideshow. The photo depicts what many believe to be a test mule vehicle of the new JL Wrangler, and it features a very Renegade-like grille shell.

Manufacturers often toy around with different designs. Their goal is to build a new, update vehicle that stays in the family of vehicles while still showing the heritage of the previous models. This version certainly does that. Unfortunately, the Renegade styling still has not fully caught on with the diehard Jeep community, despite good sales numbers.

Over at Allpar.com, the issue was picked through further. Allpar works with sources that are incredibly close to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Jeep. Per information, they have, the vehicle pictured is actually a scale clay model. If that is true, clay models have come a very long way since the days when Harley Earl first started the practice in the early 1900s.

The Jeep Renegade is capable for what it is, a tiny and mostly road going SUV. The little Jeep is certainly not nearly as capable as a proper Wrangler and with the addition of a Renegade style grille, what else has been “Renegaded?” Allpar source David Zatz goes on to explain that “sources have told us that the next Wrangler will be as capable as the current one, if not more so; and that this look was not approved, most likely because leaders realized how much blowback they’d get from loyal Jeepers.”

As the new model approaches, tensions are still high. Jeepers around the world are anxious to see the new vehicle and the changes made. For this concept, though the front end was reportedly not approved, we can probably look at the rest of the body for clues into how the JL Wrangler will be. The traditional soft top is said to be gone due to safety and rollover reasons. It appears the may still be a removable back section or at the least, removable rear windows. Half doors are clearly depicted and the body still utilized external fender flares. Time will tell what the JL Wrangler ends up.