Jeep unveils six Gladiator-based concepts for 2019 Moab safari
From retro cues to Hellcat power, it's all there.
Jeep has unveiled the concepts and one-offs it will bring to the 2019 Moab Easter Jeep Safari. This year's off-roaders are based on the recently-unveiled Gladiator.
The concepts are called Gladiator Wayout, Gladiator M715 Five-Quarter, Gladiator J6, Gladiator Scrambler, Gladiator Flatbill, and Gladiator Gravity, respectively. They're fully functional, and they'll hit the trail in Moab in the coming days.
The Wayout was built for camping. It gains a sturdy rack above the cargo compartment that holds a two-person tent. It also features a custom front bumper with a winch and a pair of spot lights, and steel wheels, among other add-ons.
The M715 takes Jeep's military history into the 21st century. Beginning with a 1968 truck, Jeep replaced the front sheet metal with carbon fiber, chopped the top by 3.5 inches, upgraded the suspension, and reinforced the frame. While the original M715 used a straight-six engine, the 2019 version of the truck is powered by a supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 engine shared with the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, among other models. If it looks familiar, it's likely because Jeep introduced a four-door 715-inspired concept at the 2016 edition of the Moab event.
The J6 shows what a two-door Gladiator would look like. Shrinking the body allowed designers to extend the cargo compartment by a foot. Like the other concepts, it also features an array of accessories and add-ons including bigger tires and a light bar.
The Scrambler wears the name many assumed the Gladiator would resurrect. It falls in line with the CJ-8 Scrambler made during the 1980s with white paint and contrasting orange decals, though historians will note it's missing the wood bed sides. It rides on alloy wheels with orange accents.
The Flatbill and the Gravity largely showcase accessories, like tubular doors, storage solutions for the cargo compartment, high-clearance fenders, and a long list of suspension upgrades. Some of these parts are available through Mopar.
In previous years, the Moab-bound concepts have previewed upcoming additions to the Jeep portfolio. The firm has used the event to give fans an early look at the fourth-generation Wrangler, and to shed insight into how it planned to return to the pickup truck segment. This year's concepts are a little different; we can't imagine a two-door Gladiator, or an M715-inspired truck joining the line-up. Instead, the off-roaders were built to promote the Gladiator using cool, fan-approved designs.
