The Jeep Comanche Concept: The Jeep Pickup We’ve Been Waiting For?
Jeep lovers have been asking for a Jeep pickup for years now – especially after the success of this year’s Grand Cherokee and Cherokee SUV models, among many others. After many tantalizing hints and sneak peeks into the plans for a revival of such a Jeep model, fans have started to get a bit anxious. Starting earlier this year, everybody’s been waiting in anticipation for the official announcement of a Jeep Wrangler-based pickup, which Jeep’s global chief, Mike Manley, confirmed to The Detroit News at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in January. But with all eyes focused on the pickup Wrangler to come in late 2017, nobody expected a second contender to take the stage in the meantime – or to make such a big splash in the process.
Meet the new Jeep Comanche concept , a dark horse pickup option based on the emerging Jeep Renegade and offering a surprisingly satisfying amount of style, power, and presence on the road. First introduced for the 50th annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, the Comanche displayed impressive off-road performance to match a refined, almost military style for a unique presentation of Jeep’s plans for its future pickup.
Decked with the stylish black-accented front grille and headlight setup found on the popular Renegade and bearing the head-smackingly named “Beige Against the Machine” paint job, the Comanche looks as tough as it is. Blending a subtle combination of consumer and military design cues, the Comanche is built to take on intense terrain with ease, thanks in part to off-road rock rails, a 2-inch lift kit and a winch, all rolling on 16-inch painted wheels with all-terrain tires.
Pushed by a 2.0-liter diesel I-4 engine mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission, the Comanche packs plenty of power to take on everything from Main Street to Moab in style. And with a wheelbase that’s been stretched six inches beyond the standard Renegade layout, your Comanche comes loaded with a full five-foot bed for easy hauling on the trail. The Comanche also promises easy crawling thanks to Jeep Active Drive Lock, which includes low range and a locking rear differential.
While we all may have been pleasantly surprised by this unexpected concept, we can’t help but really like what it offers to the Jeep lineup. Not only does this impressive pickup bring great ground clearance and undeniable performance capabilities to the table, but it also sets a nice precedent as to how Jeep plans to style its pickups – and perhaps all of its future vehicles – going forward.
This isn’t the first time Jeep has utilized the Moab Easter Safari as a presentation place – and testing facility – for its pickup concepts. Loyal Jeep enthusiasts may remember the Jeep J-12 pickup concept debuted at Moab in 2012, or the sporty Wrangler Porkchop model from the year before. And those looking for a clue as to what a Wrangler pickup might look like can check out the 2005 Jeep Gladiator concept for an idea as to where Jeep might be heading with its future designs.
If you’re as excited as we are about the prospect of a Jeep pickup hitting production in the near future, make sure to keep your eye on models like the impressive Comanche concept. Chances are, you may just find yourself in something similar down the road and when that time comes, get in touch with the Faricy Boys and let them get you into the Jeep of your dreams. We doubt you’ll regret getting in on the ground floor of such an exciting development in the Jeep world.
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