FIRST LOOK: 2025 Jeep® J6 Honcho Concept

This past weekend, I made the trip out to the Stellantis Design Cars + Coffee event at the Chrysler Technical Center (CTC) in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Amid all the eye candy on display—from vintage muscle to electrified prototypes—there was one truck that really stopped people in their tracks: the 2025 Jeep® J6 Honcho Concept.

Now, if the name “J6” sounds familiar, it should. Jeep actually teased us with the name back in 2019 during Easter Jeep Safari with a two-door Gladiator-style concept. It looked cool, but it was clearly more of a “what if?” than a “what’s next.” Fast forward to this year’s Easter Jeep Safari, and now this: a refined, retro-styled concept that’s got everyone asking, why isn’t this already in showrooms?

The J6 Honcho Concept is based on a four-door Wrangler Unlimited that’s been cleverly transformed into a two-door pickup with a six-foot bed. That’s right—six feet. That’s a full foot longer than what you get with today’s Gladiator, even though it keeps the same 118.4-inch wheelbase. The proportions are tight, rugged, and ready to rip.

And the style? Straight out of the late ’70s. This Honcho has throwback side stripes, old-school Jeep badging, and paint that screams classic Americana. It’s the kind of design that makes even casual car fans do a double-take. Several folks standing near me said it out loud: “They need to build this.”

Jeep calls it an “accessory concept,” which seems like a bit of a tease. Sure, a lot of the goodies on the truck are available in the Mopar catalog—like the 2-inch lift kit, 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, and those 37-inch BFGoodrich KM3 tires. It’s also got a heavy-duty front bumper with a Warn winch and four chunky TYRI LED lights. The rear bed setup includes a spare tire carrier, a slick custom roll bar with six more TYRI lights, and integrated rock rails for when the going gets rough.

But some things you just can’t buy—at least not yet. The wide rear fenders, unique tailgate, and custom bed panels look production-ready, but they’re not part of any catalog. Not yet, anyway.

Still, compared to the 2019 J6, this latest version is worlds more refined. It feels like a real vehicle—not just a one-off showpiece. Jeep’s clearly testing the waters here, and from the buzz at Cars + Coffee, they’d be crazy not to take the plunge.

A short-wheelbase, two-door pickup like the J6 Honcho is exactly the kind of fun-sized truck that’s missing from the current Jeep lineup. It’s playful, it’s practical, and it leans into Jeep’s heritage in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh. If Jeep builds it, they won’t just have a cool concept—they’ll have a hit on their hands.

Until then, we’ll keep chanting: build it.

2025 Jeep® J6 Honcho Concept Image Gallery: