Another Easter Jeep Safari means more pulse-quickening concepts from Jeep. The 2022 event brings six all-new Jeep concepts plus a big rework of one of the best from last year.
Jeep will include almost all of its powertrains in its 2022 Easter Jeep Safari (EJS) concepts. They’ll take the spotlight at the yearly event, running from April 9 to 17 in Moab, Utah.
The 4xe plug-in hybrid, 6.4L V8, 3.0L Eco-Diesel V6, and even Pentastar are all represented. There’s even an EV with three times the torque of last year’s version. There’s one with its back end cut off, one that doesn’t even have somewhere to attach doors, and one that gets almost every part from the Jeep Performance catalog.
Each offers something special, from wild to “I could build that.”
Jeep is bringing a total of 10 Jeep- and Jeep Performance Parts (JPP)-branded concepts to the event. We’ve seen some of them before, at last year’s SEMA aftermarket show. So we’ll stick to the seven new 2022 EJS concepts.
They all look like potent off-roaders, but Magneto 2.0 and Bob are the builds that have our attention.
2022 Jeep Magneto 2.0 Concept
Jeep brought a Magneto-badged EV to EJS last year, but you can forget about that one. Magneto 2.0 triples up last year’s entry in the power department. The first Magneto kicked 285 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, but version 2.0 has a custom-built axial flux electric motor that makes 625 horses and up to 850 pound-feet of torque.
Jeep needed a beefed-up six-speed manual (that’s right: stick shift!) for this 2022 EJS concept, so it sourced a modified Hellcat T6060 called Tranzilla.
First gear lets you drive up a wall, to use Jeep’s words. All of that torque is going through a 3.36 first gear, 5.38 axles, and a Rubicon Rock-Track transfer case. Translation? About a trillion pound-feet at the road.
The other effect of all of that torque from zero RPM is the ability to start in fourth gear if you feel like it. Because electric motors don’t idle, you don’t even need to use the clutch to start moving (a handy feature when you’re crawling over rocks).
Magneto 2.0 can hit 60 mph in 2 seconds, but that’s missing the point. It’s the one-pedal driving (thanks to the regenerative braking capability of EVs) that will make this one of the best off-roaders in the business.
Jeep added 12 inches to the wheelbase of the two-door Wrangler to add room for the extra powertrain parts. A 3-inch lift helps Jeep fix the proportions.
And 40-inch tires on 20-inch wheels take advantage of all of the torque. To help make sure that the driveline doesn’t leave you stranded, there are Dynatrac Pro-Rock 60 front and 80 rear axles with a custom driveshaft.
Jeep Bob Concept
What do you do if you want the long wheelbase and cargo capacity of the Jeep Gladiator, but the back of the pickup bed is cramping your departure angles? You bob (read: shorten) it. That’s what Jeep did, slashing a foot of length off of the Gladiator from behind the rear wheels.
The shorter length lets it fit through gullies and around rocks where the full tail could get caught up.
Jeep didn’t stop there with the Sawzall. All four doors have been removed, along with the B-pillar. If the doors did still exist, you couldn’t put them back on. Jeep calls this “the ultimate open-air freedom.” We call it best suited to the desert and not anywhere that might see rain.
The top is a perforated hard roof, but Jeep stretched a canvas top over it. The idea is to give you some shelter from the elements, but still let natural light into the cab. And the stretched look is super-cool.
Under the vented carbon fiber hood is the 3.0L Eco-Diesel V6.
Custom steel bumpers front and rear should take an off-road pounding. They also help improve the approach and departure angles by a few more degrees over the bobbed tail.
Other off-road gear includes Dynatrac Pro-Rock 60 axles for durability and King coil suspension with bypass shocks. Its 40-inch tires on beadlocks get you up and over obstacles, and a 3-inch lift lets those big tires fit without hitting anything important.
Jeep ’41 Concept
Jeep is proud of its roots dating back to 1941, with badges making sure you know that on almost everything it makes. This 2022 EJS concept takes that pride in its origins to the next level.
The retro concept started as a Wrangler 4xe. Then Jeep wrapped the whole thing in olive drab — even the vintage-look steel wheels by Fifteen52. Half-doors, a 2-inch lift, and 35-inch mud tires set off the exterior look.
A tan soft top pairs with the new interior. Canvas-covered seats get digital camo inserts to go with the tan shade.
The floor is Rhino-lined in matte green like the outside, and the gauge faces come in the same green shade. This one manages to be cool enough and mild enough that we could see Jeep putting most of it into production.
Jeep Birdcage Concept by JPP
This 2022 EJS entry debuts a JPP 2-inch lift with FOX shocks designed and tuned specifically for the plug-in Wrangler 4xe. It’s the first 4xe-spec lift from Jeep, letting PHEV owners have more fun.
Thirty-seven-inch BFGoodrich KM3 tires mounted on 17-inch JPP beadlock wheels provide traction for the 2.0L four-banger and its electric motor when you’re scrambling over tough terrain.
A first on Birdcage are new flat fender flares that hold removable daytime running light covers. Jeep says they’re the first 50-state legal flares with OE DRLs and the first to meet 50-state tire coverage requirements.
So if you want to fit big meats and stay street legal, watch the JJP catalog. Spacers for the taillights are new and better protect the lights from trail damage while meeting all legal requirements.
Tobacco leaf paint and cocoa brown leather seats will catch your attention, but don’t overlook what’s in the back. An Add-A-Trunk concept decklid from Mopar has locking storage to fit a full-size cooler. Plus, the lid swings on gas struts when the tailgate is open. Eight tie-down loops and five bag hooks let you store gear securely in the trunk, and you can pile even more gear securely on top.
Don’t forget the front bumper. This 2022 EJS concept gets a custom two-hoop steel bumper and rock slider. Mounted to that and integrated into the grille is a WARN winch, tucked up and out of harm’s way.
Lastly, rock sliders protect the underside of the body while rock lights try to keep you from touching terrain in the first place.
Jeep D-Coder Concept by JPP
The Jeep D-Coder name comes from the QR (quick-response) codes stuck on almost every part of this Jeep Gladiator.
This 2022 EJS concept is a rolling showcase of JPP and Mopar accessories; it wears more than 35 of them. Maraschino red accents against gloss black set up a contrast to make sure you can see them.
Up front is a three-piece modular bumper with a tube grille and winch guard. It has a 2-inch JPP lift kit with FOX shocks and 37s from BFG mounted on JPP five-spoke wheels.
The D-Coder gets a JPP Gorilla Glass windshield with 5-inch LED lights mounted to JPP brackets on each side. JPP tube doors and JPP tube-door mirrors let you see, and Mopar grab handles help you get in and stay in place.
Katzkin red leather seats match the other accessory parts.
Every accessory listed here, and the remaining two dozen in the truck, has a QR code. Scan the code to you’ll arrive at Jeep or Mopar’s site for specs and pricing.
Jeep Rubicon 20th Anniversary Concept
Back in the early 2000s, a small group of hardcore Jeep off-roaders put together a Wrangler just for them. Locking differentials and articulation-aiding sway bar disconnects, they reasoned, could help them get farther out than ever.
Jeep called it the Rubicon, launched it, and expected to sell a handful and be done with it. Twenty years later, the Rubicon name still sells as strongly as ever.
The 20th Anniversary model starts with a Wrangler Rubicon 392 and its 6.4L V8. Then, Jeep fit it with custom-built half-doors and a one-touch power roof. Removable side panels add to the open-air experience.
It wears a Granite Crystal wrap with a special 20th-anniversary hood logo. Jeep has also given this Rubi gold tow hooks and badges and an American flag fender sticker.
Because no Easter Jeep Safari concept is complete without one, it gets a 2-inch lift, plus 37-inch mud tires and a WARN winch.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk PHEV Concept
OK, some of these concepts aren’t as wild as past EJS events. But it’s not all Wranglers or Gladiators, either.
Jeep is bringing a concept 4xe Trailhawk Grand Cherokee that boosts the off-road capability of the latest Grand Cherokee and its PHEV driveline while making sure it can still unobtrusively power through the wilderness.
Mechanical changes include the 33-inch BFG mud-terrain tires on 20-inch wheels. Sorry, no 35s on this one. Even with the new trimmed wheel wells and widened flares, there isn’t quite room for those.
The exterior is a custom Industrial Blue paint with an anti-glare matte hood decal. Vinyl graphics low on the doors are designed to help protect from pinstripes caused by trailside snags.
On the inside, Jeep has added custom saddle-color seats with houndstooth inserts as well as 4xe badges. Cosmetic? Yes. Still pretty cool? You bet.
2022 Easter Jeep Safari Concepts
While these 2022 EJS concepts are all fun to look at, they all also run. We’re looking forward to taking the Magneto 2.0 for a rip at EJS next week. Zero to 60 mph in 2 seconds and 625 horsepower on a lifted EV? Stay tuned to hear about what that’s like.
Speaking of EVs, how far down the road is a production-ready electric Jeep Wrangler? Jeep has said its first EV will arrive next year. And while we don’t think that’ll be a Wrangler, we think one is going to happen sooner rather than later.
It’s hard not to get excited about the prospect, especially if Jeep gives it the Magneto 2.0’s stick shift. An off-roader that doesn’t shatter the desert solitude with noise and also won’t overheat and puke coolant and oil all over the trail? Yes, please.
As for the JJP concepts, you can get most of that stuff now, online or through your dealer. You might not be able to copy the 2022 Easter Jeep Safari concepts, but you’ll be able to make your own.
