Jeep pickup spotted? by David Zatz on

A new Jeep pickup, like the old Scrambler, has been rumored to be under development for many years, but for now, buyers have to go to an AEV Brute or opt for a similarly expensive Jeep conversion kit. With Wranglers being snapped up by buyers as fast as the Toledo plant can build them, and a completely new model due in 2016-2017, there’s little incentive for the company to divert engineering resources or space to making pickups.

That may be changing when the next-generation Wranglers arrive. Rumored to be on a long-travel independent suspension similar to the pioneering Li’l Blue project (itself based on the first-year Jeep Wagoneer), the new pickup appears to be in parallel development with Wrangler. Moving to an independent suspension could allow for production increases, as the suspension modules would be assembled off-site, freeing up space in the main plant. The Li’l Blue project provided increased mobility (compared with 1997 Wranglers) with superior on-road performance, the primary drawbacks being limited after-purchase modifications and higher cost.

Mr. Source, who captured the admittedly blurry and low-resolution photo above, wrote that an internal, unofficial source said it was definitely not an AEV Brute or past concept.