[Colin]

The Santa Cruz will have to compete with a Jeep Pickup based on the Wrangler.
Do you think the same customers will be attracted to both, or are they after different types of truck buyers?

Past Jeep concepts may provide clues about future Wrangler pickup

 

[EricB]

Jeep has been teasing this for years. While I love the idea of a p/u based on the wrangler, its much more than I will ever use, not to mention that that the wrangler is absurdly over priced, heavy, and gets horrific fuel economy. I am still all about the Santa Cruz.

 

[Colin]

It will be based on the new Wrangler so there could be some improvements on some of those drawbacks depending on what happens with the Wrangler.

I don't think that people who go for this type of truck don't really care too much about fuel economy.

 

[Santa]

It could possibly look like this too:

It'll be a tough choice between the Wrangler and the Santa Cruz if they are both similar in fuel economy and I'm a fan of the Jeep line up. Of course the decision won't be based solely on fuel economy because either way, it's going to cost a pretty penny but I'll just have to wait and see when they are both available for testing and this won't be happening for a long while.

 

[Colin]

That looks much more like a Hummer than a Wrangler. I could see that being popular, but back in 2003-2008.

 

[Santana]

That looks much more like a Hummer than a Wrangler. I could see that being popular, but back in 2003-2008.

Only thing I can't see happening is a bed that comes up that high, i'm thinking it will be a traditional bed, much like what they had before.

 

[Colin]

Yea, a bed that high would not be very practical at all. Lifting things into there would be such a pain.

 

[Santana]

Yea, a bed that high would not be very practical at all. Lifting things into there would be such a pain.

Ultimately they'll want to keep it quite simple, going any further into anything extra could prove unnecessary

 

[Colin]

Ultimately they'll want to keep it quite simple, going any further into anything extra could prove unnecessary

Lord knows that FCA doesn't really have the luxury of spending a huge amount of money. Part of the reason behind this vehicle is definitely that it already has a lot of the stuff prepared. Just cut the back par off of the Wrangler.

 

[Santana]

That's just the simplicity they need to test the market all in good timing and with a small budget, always easier to scale things up with demand than to find ways to make up for a loss.

 

[Colin]

Well scaling things up is riding a wave forward, but making up for a loss is trying to figure out what to do with something extra. It is much easier to add more than it is to take away from stuff you have already done in the auto industry. A car built is built, and a new car requires R+D. A Jeep Wrangler pickup requires the modification of something that already exists.

 

[Buttercup650]

Jeep had a truck once upon a time. It was called the Comanche. It wasn't Wrangler-based, though. I would not buy a Wrangler-based truck. I like the Hyundai Santa Cruz Concept; I think the two concepts mentioned are for completely different sets of people. I bet the Santa Cruz would have a much smaller turn radius than most pickup trucks! Sweet.

 

[Santana]

Jeep had a truck once upon a time. It was called the Comanche. It wasn't Wrangler-based, though. I would not buy a Wrangler-based truck. I like the Hyundai Santa Cruz Concept; I think the two concepts mentioned are for completely different sets of people. I bet the Santa Cruz would have a much smaller turn radius than most pickup trucks! Sweet.

Good point on turning radius, something bound to make it slightly favorable over others, but of course there will be many other factors for buyers to factor in.

 

[Cruizin]

Wow the Comanche is old. Just looked it up and it was a design from 1992. It may be time for Jeep to come out with a new one.

 

[Colin]

The Comanche doesn't look bad for a '92 Jeep vehicle. I think they are smart to make it Wrangler based this time around though. I don't think they could compete with other trucks out there, and they'd be battling Ram, which is under FCA as well and that doesn't make much sense.

 

[Santa]

Let's hope the latest diesel scandal doesn't affect the specs of future diesel trucks. There must be some kind of trade off in order raise the emissions standard.

Think I read somewhere that lists the Jeep Renegade 2.0 as a vehicle exceeding the emissions standard.

 

[Cruizin]

They didn't exceed the emissions standard, it was just higher than what was initially reported.

 

[Santana]

That and they programmed the vehicle's computer to read as running clean when going for emissions test.

 

[don4331]

You're not going far enough back with the Comanche (which is Cherokee based).

The Scrambler was Jeep's pickup based on the CJ chassis. A 2018 repeat is just a modified set of frame dies (~15" longer behind rear wheels, matching sheet metal <minus rear doors from 4dr>) and a truck cab. Note: It was also a production convertible pickup - remove the hard top and you could install the soft top or leave it open.

Dodge has released the sheet metal/truck cab in a kit to convert the 4 door Wrangler JK to a pickup - expensive and the box is Scambler short as they never extended the rear frame. But, if it is a factory conversion, price wouldn't be different than any other Wrangler and box <frame> could be extended to match those of the other mid-size manufacturers.

But again, Scrambler sales were only 26k. Doesn't really make up the difference of moving the existing products out of Toledo.

 

[Santana]

You're not going far enough back with the Comanche (which is Cherokee based).

The Scrambler was Jeep's pickup based on the CJ chassis. A 2018 repeat is just a modified set of frame dies (~15" longer behind rear wheels, matching sheet metal <minus rear doors from 4dr>) and a truck cab. Note: It was also a production convertible pickup - remove the hard top and you could install the soft top or leave it open.

Dodge has released the sheet metal/truck cab in a kit to convert the 4 door Wrangler JK to a pickup - expensive and the box is Scambler short as they never extended the rear frame. But, if it is a factory conversion, price wouldn't be different than any other Wrangler and box <frame> could be extended to match those of the other mid-size manufacturers.

But again, Scrambler sales were only 26k. Doesn't really make up the difference of moving the existing products out of Toledo.

Too bad it's hard to spot any of those these days, even at shows they seem to be uncommon to come across!

Maybe with a Jeep pickup returning we might see a classic show up somewhere with the new one.