Jeep Wrangler Magneto 3.0 Concept

Based on a two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon from 2020, this is actually the Magento Concept’s third appearance at Moab with Jeep having fine-tuned the recipe since its first outing in 2021.

Jeep’s first battery-electric concept houses a custom axial flux motor that now produces a mighty 650hp and 1220Nm of torque, although there’s also a 285hp/370Nm setting for when obliterating the path ahead isn’t absolutely necessary. The upgraded motor means improved efficiency and range, too, and there’s an ‘aggressive’ regen setting that acts as a one-pedal hill descent mode. Clever.

The elephant in the room is, of course, those nearly elephant-sized mud terrain tyres: 40-inchers since you ask, fitted over 20in beadlock wheels.

As you’ll soon discover, huge wheels are a bit of a theme… The Magneto also gets Dynatrac 60 front axles and 80 rears, and there’s 3in lift too for added clearance.

Jeep has played around with the proportions as well, because… well, why not? The doors have been modded for easier access and the windshield raked back for that ‘chopped’ look. Meanwhile the updated paint scheme pays homage to the previous iterations of the concept.

Jeep Scrambler 392 Concept

Having started life as a four-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, the 392 Concept is a nod to the CJ-8 generation Scrambler of 1981. Although that was never offered with a V8 engine, and this… is.

Yep, there’s a 6.4-litre HEMI under there generating 470hp and 637Nm. Which is certainly enough to scramble.

This concept’s schtick is lightweightiness, thanks to a vast amount of carbonfibre bodywork that is said to increase performance off-road.

In the same vein, the concept gets the newly released AccuAir suspension kit (developed for the modern Wrangler and Gladiator) which offers up to 5.5in of lift either on the fly, or via a wireless device thanks to Bluetooth compatibility.

40in tyres and 20in rims again here, finished in Brass Monkey Paint; the same you’ll find on the stock Rubicon 392.

1978 Jeep Cherokee 4xe Concept

This one’s a restomod, although rather than stick religiously to the original body of the donor 1978 Cherokee, it has been ‘heavily modified’ to incorporate elements of a 2022 Wrangler Rubicon and its hybrid 4xe powertrain.

Not that you need reminding, but that incorporates two electric motors, a battery and a 2.0-litre turbo engine, with power going through an 8spd auto.

The original Cherokee (SJ gen) was followed a year later by a sporty, two-door version that featured bucket seats and racy detailing for young-person appeal, and it’s in that vein that this concept continues with its low-back, leather-finished bucket seats and… a four-point roll cage in place of the rear seats. Because nothing says ‘cool’ like a safety feature.

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe Concept

If any of the seven concepts for 2023 could be described as ‘style over substance’, it’s this one. Goes without saying that there are some practical upgrades, including the AccuAir suspension 37in tyres and 17in wheels, but mostly this one’s here to make a visual statement.

And, well, it certainly does that doesn’t it? Following what Jeep calls an ‘overwhelmingly positive reaction’ to the limited-edition Tuscadero paint used on the 2021 Wrangler, the company has doubled down on the pinkness/purpleness with an ‘unapologetic’ colour scheme.

No apology necessary: the concept gets gloss black accents to complement its brash exterior, with the interior centred around a black leather dashboard that hides a pink velvet layer beneath the trim.

Grand Wagoneer Overland Concept

Yup, it’s a camper. Designed primarily for comfort and adventure apparently. We’ll gloss over the 3.0-litre Hurricane Twin Turbo engine and its 510hp/678Nm, because what you really want to know about is that most excellent roof tent.

Constructed from carbonfibre, the RedTail Overland Skyloft can be raised by hand in around 10 seconds and provides sleeping space and panoramic views for two people.

Internal access is made possible by converting the rearmost sunroof into a hatch, and the second and third row of seats make way for a plush rug and a pair of bean bags.

There’s also storage for bikes, and the truck bed-lined cargo floor makes scrubbing away mud a piece of cake.

STORY Joe Holding