More Jeeps
Since this was the first Easter Safari in two years, Jeep will also be bringing three previously-announced models to better show them off.
The first of these is the Gladiator-based Farout concept that is all about overlanding, and you don’t have to look too far to tell. The bed has been closed off in order to accommodate both the roof-mounted 16-foot tent (officially called “Truck Topper by Equipment Habitat”) as well as an interior full of creature comforts such as a stove and a fridge with freezer. There’s also wood inserts and soft ambient lantern-style lighting for a more cabin-like feel and a deployable awning so you can sit out in the shade with a brew when it comes time to take a break.
Naturally, this concept comes with the same diesel engine as does the Red Bare as it provides up to 643 km of range on a single tank – super important to overlanders who likely won’t have immediate access to gas stations throughout their excursions. It comes finished in a grey-blue colour called “Earl” (looks a little like how a battleship might be painted) with chartreuse inserts. Like the Peelz, it gets lifted and big off-road tires.
Next up is the Rubicon 392, whose name gives everything away when it come to this Jeep: anybody who knows anything about Jeep sister company Dodge’s performance vehicles knows that “392” means the existence of a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 engine.
In the case of the Rubicon 392, it makes 485 hp and 475 lb-ft, enough to propel the four-door Jeep to very illegal speeds very quickly. We once again see the application of the 2” lift kit and 37” tires here, and the 392 is finished in a granite interior with oxblood leather inside. In case you thought the 392 was set to be a tarmac specialist only, you should know that it also gets a Warn winch, steel bumpers, belly pan and rock rails. So it should fare just as well off the beaten path as it will on it. Unlike the Magneto, the 392 is no concept and will be arriving in showrooms soon.
Rounding out the supposed-to-be-at-the-2020-event concepts is the Top Dog, which looks like a utility vehicle but is actually aimed at mountain bikers. The bed topper on the Gladiator doesn’t include a cabin as it does in the Farout; instead, it turns the Top Dog into a mountain bike workshop on wheels with tool drawers, storage racks, extra power hookups and even an almost full-sized barbeque plus minifridge. You know, for all the Red Bull and Monster Energy Drinks mountains bikers require between runs. There’s additional racking above the cab for even more storage.
Power for the Top Dog comes courtesy of the Pentastar V6, good for 285 hp and 260 lb-ft, and there is also the lift kit and tires we’ve seen many times on these vehicles, as well as a Warn winch.
Look for more on these concepts as the actual in-the-flesh 2021 Easter Safari gets rolling on March 27.
