2023 Easter Jeep Safari Jeep Concepts Drive

Every year Jeep debuts a handful of concept cars at Easter Jeep Safari (EJS) in Moab. And, every year they have a few select media out to drive all the concepts off-road before they go on display to the public. This is a bold move that you don’t see from any other auto manufacturer. Not only are the concept vehicles running, driving, and properly off-road capable, but they get used in the environment they were built for, even before going on display at shows across the country.

Of course, Moab in the spring can dish out some interesting weather, and this year it sure did. We saw a mix of snow, sleet, hail, a bit of rain, lots of wind, and even some perfect sunshine, all in the span of a few hours. Making that weather and this concept drive all that much more interesting is the fact that all seven concepts for 2023 were open top and/or had at most half-doors. Battling the weather is part of the fun though, and the sunny breaks in the weather with big fluffy white clouds, blue skies, and snow-capped mountain backdrops made Moab come alive.

Bundled up in many layers I managed to slip behind the wheel of all seven 2023 EJS Jeep concepts for a drive. While the Grand Wagoneer Overland, all-electric and six-speed manual Magneto 3.0, and retro cool ’78 Cherokee 4Xe got most of the attention this year, it was the bright green 392 Scrambler that really impressed me. Let’s dive into what each 2023 Jeep concept has to offer, including the driving experience.

392 Scrambler Concept

The 392 Scrambler impressed me from behind the wheel because it was an absolute off-road monster. Out of all the concepts, this is the one I’d want to have in my garage if I lived someplace like Moab where I could regularly exercise it on the trail. With massive 40-inch mud-terrains, a growly 6.4L V8 under the see-through hood, no doors, and 452 pounds less weight than the JLU it is based on, the 392 Scrambler is just an impressive and usable package.

“The ‘80s Jeep Scrambler (CJ-8) is one of the coolest vehicles to ever make it to production from Jeep, and the inspiration for this modern concept.”

The ‘80s Jeep Scrambler (CJ-8) is one of the coolest vehicles to ever make it to production from Jeep, and the inspiration for this modern concept. What’s not to like about a two-door, short-bed, convertible Jeep truck? Add a big, powerful, and oh-so-awesome sounding V8, aggressive custom carbon body panels, and a Gladiator trailgate and you have a recipe for cool and capable.

Nearly every Jeep concept has an easter egg, or three. On the 392 Scrambler concept, there was a red button on the driver’s side fender that read ‘Do Not Press.’ I, of course, had to press it, which activated a very loud air horn.

Grand Wagoneer Overland Concept

Take the luxury of a new Grand Wagoneer, the capability benefits of 35-inch tires, and the sleeping comfort of a Redtail Overland Skyloft and you get Jeep’s latest overland concept. The second and third rows have been removed and replaced with a chill lounge, which works great in conjunction with the massive headrest-mounted screens and third-row sunroof delete/hatch entry for the Skyloft.

The 35-inch tires just look right on the Grand Wagoneer and also add ground clearance and traction. The team at Jeep retained the stock adjustable air suspension, with no additional lift, but had to heavily massage the fenders and wheel well liners. At normal ride height, the tires did rub a bit when turning, especially if the big vehicle was articulated at all off-road.

The 300-ish pounds of carbon fiber roof-top camper system was noticeable from behind the wheel, as the vehicle swayed considerably more than normal when traversing uneven terrain. The flip side of that coin is the super luxury heated, cooled, and powered-up hard-sided sleeping area that the Redtail Overland Skyloft offers once you get to camp.

Wrangler Magneto 3.0

Let’s start with the numbers; 625 horsepower, 850 lb.-ft. of torque, 40-inch tires, and a six-speed manual transmission. Add in an EVO long arm kit, King shocks, AirLockers, and built Dana axels and you have one impressive Jeep. Magneto 3.0 is the third and last fully electric Wrangler JL concept.

No, we’ll never see a manual transmission make it to production on an electric Jeep. The manual is just a cool concept feature and helped show Jeep engineers that they probably need two to three gears versus just one — like most EVs — in a fully electric trail-rated production Jeep, for better off-road slow speed-controlled crawling.

“When stationary just select a gear with the shifter, no clutch required, and hit the go pedal to get moving.”

Speaking of rock crawling, Magneto 3.0 even has a one-pedal drive mode, which makes acing slow-speed difficult off-road terrain easy, smooth, and oh-so controllable. While you don’t need to change gears ever, at least if you’re in Third gear, it is fun to row the gears. Fourth is fun when bombing sandy two-track and Second is perfect for crawling, but outside of that range, the other gears aren’t all that useful but do work. When stationary just select a gear with the shifter, no clutch required, and hit the go pedal to get moving. Once moving you do have to use the clutch pedal to change gears, but you’re just selecting a gear, so you don’t need to, and shouldn’t, slip the clutch while giving it throttle.

’78 Cherokee 4xe

The ’78 Cherokee 4xe by far turned the most heads. From behind the wheel, it was just a JLU Rubicon 4xe on 37s. While refined and capable, the driving experience didn’t match the ‘70s retro cool vibes. The stock steering wheel and seats, besides custom cover materials, didn’t help make it feel special from the driver’s seat. It did look and feel special from every other angle, however.

This concept was created over 2 years by blending a rusted out old ’78 Cherokee body with a brand-new Wrangler Rubicon 4xe everything else. I really love how cleanly the stock Rubicon winch bumper is integrated into the Cherokee grille and the 4xe charge plug and hood latches are integrated into the Cherokee hood. While the roof looks chopped down from stock, it is actually just a bit thinner. It’s made of carbon fiber and helps create an overall sleek and modern take on the classic Cherokee.

This resto-mod Jeep offered everything from roll-up windows to an 8-track player, and even a graffiti headliner. It is a concept vehicle though, which means the 8-track wasn’t wired up and the roll-up window handles hit the dash, so were inoperable when the doors were closed. The classic paint job and retro-looking classic 17-inch wheels, with classic Jeep logo center caps, really bring it all together and help get this concept noticed from afar.

Pink Rubicon 4xe

The pink Jeep concept is all about the color, and not the driving experience. It is not the sold-out, super popular, and now discontinued Tuscadero Pink, but a new shade of pink you’re likely to see find its way into production soon. It drove exactly like you’d think a JLU Rubicon 4xe on 37s would. The only difference is the AccuAir air suspension system, which at mid-ride height I found to be a bit soft. Jacked all the way up — it has a change-on-the-fly range of 1.5 to 5.5 inches of lift — it provided a smooth dampened ride similar to what you’d expect from a traditional suspension setup.

Jeep didn’t even give this Jeep a fun nickname, as I think someone in legal or marketing didn’t think the “kink” theme the build was headed in was a good idea. How do I know it had a “kink” theme you ask? Well, in early teaser images of the build the seats were covered in leopard print (which were changed out before the Jeep’s public viewing), the shifter boots were made of shiny black vinyl, and the glove box was lined with fake pink fur and was full of a bottle of Kink branded gin.

Sideburn

The Sideburn concept is basically just a really well-done up-fitted Gladiator Rubicon, with a trick custom bed. Fun colors inside and out, half doors, 37-inch BFGs, HRE wheels, and a smooth-riding 2-inch Bilstein lift make this Jeep truck look good and work over any terrain.

“The custom carbon and steel truck bed is what gives the truck its nickname and really makes it interesting.”

The custom carbon and steel truck bed is what gives the truck its nickname and really makes it interesting. Custom side steps go up each side and are part of the integrated Sport Bar, which also features a shelf with secure weatherproof storage boxes. The rest of the bed includes cutouts with integrated MOLLE panels and integrated RotoPax water/fuel holders.

A custom 4-foot-wide fold-down tubular grille guard also helps the Sideburn concept stand out from the crowd. Not only does this part offer great radiator protection from animal strikes and the like, but it can also be used as a bench seat for up to two people.

Departure

The Departure concept gets the same flip-down grille guard as the Sideburn, but the similarities pretty much stop there. If you were to throw the parts catalog from Mopar and Jeep Performance Parts (JPP) at a 4-door Wrangler Rubicon 4xe, the Departure concept is what you’d get. Your attempt at that probably wouldn’t create such a tidy Jeep, however. This very well-sorted-out, open-air build features a lot of tubular parts — tube grille, doors, tailgate, and more — and a custom paint job that flows into the interior. It drives exactly as you’d expect a Wrangler 4xe with a quality 2-inch Bilstein lift on 37s would.

A tubular tailgate that has a spare tire mount that pivots 180-degrees is where this concept gets its name. When the spare is flipped forward it sits inside the cargo area of the Jeep, offering up a better departure angle. Also custom on this build are a windshield mounted lighting system, rear quarter MOLLE panels, and custom flat-fender flares and wheel liners. The flares and liners offer up tons of clearance while also offering 50-state legal tire coverage and integrated, removable daytime-running lights.

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Editor’s Note: A version of this article appeared in TREAD July/August 2023.