Arguably the greatest invention of World War II was the nigh indestructible Jeep, a vehicle so good that the Nazis regularly used captured Jeeps in their own faltering war effort. 70 years after V-day in Europe, Jeep is now owned (at least in part) by Italy’s Fiat, and it came to the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany with three rugged new concepts designed to once again win over the Old World.
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Sunriser, Cherokee KrawLer and Renegade Trailhawk all came fully packed with Mopar accessories in both the performance and aesthetics categories. Let’s go down the list one by one.
First, the oddly-named Cherokee KrawLer (what’s that capital L supposed to stand for, exactly?), which stands out for being jacked-up. Sporting a Mopar-sourced lift kit and suspension, the Cherokee KrawLer rocks BF Goodrich KM2 255/80R17 off-road tires and a Matte Green paint job that is a throwback to the Jeep’s wartime roots. Wonder how ze Germans feel about that.
Next up is the Wrangler Rubicon Sunriser, sporting a unique and wonderful orange huge, along with a front bumper embedded with twin towing hooks and a 4-inch lift kit. An engine skidplate keeps things kosher over craggy outcroppings while the 2.8 liter CRD diesel engine provides the torque needed to scale plenty of trails. A full suite of LED lights makes sure the path ahead is well illuminated, and it’s all tied together with a custom orange-and-black interior.
Last and (sadly) least is the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk, a “concept” that feels like it was put together because somebody at Jeep was like “Oh we should probably have our newest vehicle on display too.” Despite the Trailhawk name, the handful of modifications, including 17-inch wheels, black mirror caps, and the “Anvil” paint job, are purely aesthetic. Only the dual tow hooks and skid plate could be called functional, but compared to the other two jacked-up, beefed-up concepts, it’s hard not to feel let down by the Renegade Trailhawk.
Maybe it’s just too adorable to look mean?