Jeep to excite with 10 concepts at Easter Safari starting Saturday

The 56th edition of annual 2022 Easter Jeep Safari begins tomorrow, Saturday April 9, and the excitement will last until April 17.

The Jeep Safari is hosted by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers, an off-road club, where four-wheelers come to challenge the rough terrain of the backcountry in the Moab area, United States.

It attracts thousands of Jeep enthusiasts and off-roaders. Although it is a Jeep thing, other manufacturers have crashed the Jeep party in the past.

During EJS, Moab, Utah—home of some of the best off-roading and rock crawling in the world—becomes a beacon, a destination, Mecca of some sort for like-minded adventurers who spend the week off-roading, congregating and fully immersing themselves in all-things off-road.

Jeep says 10 concepts will be on display at this year’s event. Five of them are directly from the automaker, two from the Jeep Performance Parts accessory division, and three others from the 2021 SEMA show.

For the 2021 Jeep Easter Safari the company introduced the fully electric Wrangler Magneto concept. This year, it gets a 2.0 update, says motor1.com.

Yahoo Autos presents some details of the concept cars for this year’s event, noting that while some are merely a designer’s imagination gone wild, others are closer to what you might see in production.

For 2022, Jeep is said to have unveiled the most concepts yet, with many of the models having a particular focus on electrification.

Magneto 2.0 Concept

At last year’s Easter Safari, Jeep showed an all-electric version of the Wrangle – called the Magneto Concept – and though the firm said it initially came up with the idea for ‘amusement’, a production version is looking increasingly plausible.

For 2022, Jeep has shown off a second volume, which boasts significantly more performance, with power surging from 281bhp to 616bhp, and torque growing from 370Nm to a huge 1,150Nm. Though the firm hasn’t been able to test it fully, the Magneto’s designers say a 0-60mph time of under three seconds should be possible. Interestingly, it also uses a six-speed manual gearbox to control the electric motor, while Jeep has extended the wheelbase of the two-door Wrangler by 12 inches in order to squeeze in the powertrain.

Other styling changes include custom, lightweight bumpers, carbon fibre wheel flares and Surf Blue paintwork.

Rubicon 20th Anniversary Concept

And as it was 20 years ago since the original Wrangler Rubicon was launched, Jeep is celebrating with a new Anniversary concept. Based on the ‘392’ version (which isn’t sold in the UK), it uses a huge 6.4-litre V8 engine and comes with a dual-mode performance exhaust, custom-built half doors and a matte grey vinyl wrap that contrasts with a gold tow hook and badging.

A lift kit is also fitted to raise the ride height further, while a Warn winch and 37-inch mud-terrain tyre complete the changes.

Jeep ’41 Concept

Heritage is hugely important to Jeep, with its origins being traced back to the original Willys Jeep that helped in the efforts in World War 2.

The ‘41’ number references the year the marque was founded, with this concept paying tribute to the original with its matte green exterior finish, black powder-coated steel bumpers and khaki-coloured soft top. Custom stencils, a retro shifter, canvas-covered seats and matte green wheels complete the changes, which Jeep says makes it ‘fit for a five-star general’.

A modern twist to the ‘41 Concept, though, is the fact it uses the new 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain that’s already available on Wranglers over in the States, offering electric driving for 21 miles.

The ‘Bob’ Concept

Simply known as ‘Bob’, this concept is a blend of Jeep’s Wrangler and Gladiator pick-up, with its name referring to the ‘bobbing’ (or shortening) of the long overhang at the back.

All of the Gladiator’s four doors and B-pillars have been removed for ‘ultimate open-air freedom’, while a customised hardtop has been perforated, with canvas applied over the top to provide shelter, while letting in plenty of natural light.

The Bob also comes with a three-inch lift kit and a custom off-road suspension setup supplied by leaders in the industry, with a contrasting gloss and matte paint scheme adding even more style to the concept.

D-Coder Concept

One of Jeep’s most interesting concepts in 2022 is the D-Coder concept, which has been created by Mopar – the division that supplies a range of aftermarket supplies to Jeep owners.

Essentially, all the aspects of the D-Code that are painted red are extras that Mopar can supply to Wrangler owners, with each part having a QR code on it that can be scanned, taking a customer straight to the page where they can learn more or buy the accessory for themselves