The Jeep® brand has showcased many interesting concepts over the past decade at the annual Easter Jeep Safari. While the brand has enjoyed considerable success with its Jeep Gladiator (JT) pickup lineup, a smaller concept caught the eye of many mini truck buyers a few years back. The Jeep Comanche Concept paid homage to the compact pickup the brand offered from 1986 to 1992 while utilizing the underpinnings of the brand’s subcompact Renegade.
Based on the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk, the Jeep Comanche Concept was designed to be off-road-ready and feature practical utility. The Comanche takes styling cues from military and civilian Jeep heritage. With a stretched wheelbase of an additional 6 inches over the standard Renegade Trailhawk, the Comanche utilizes a very functional 6-foot pickup box. The Jeep design team initially planned to create a box flush with the cab; however, after some thought, the team designed a separate box using design elements from the popular Nukizer Concept, giving the Comanche a more militaristic feel.
Inside, the Comanche Concept features a full cage that protects the passengers and allows the vehicle to feature a soft-top-covered roof. Custom seat covers with the headrest removed, while potentially not meeting crash test standards, give the cabin a more retro look. Custom pedal covers, door sill guards, and Mopar all-weather mats tie the interior with the militaristic feel from the outside.
Painted in a concept exterior paint called “Beige Against the Machine” (a nod to those who lived in the 90s), the Comanche is accented with a Satin Black hood, a concept lower front fascia, winch, a custom steel rear bumper from a Wrangler (JK), and even a bed-mounted spare tire. The concept lower front fascia improves the Comanche’s approach angle while allowing the front of the vehicle to feature a winch, something a Renegade had never had before.
Under the hood of the Comanche Concept is a 2.0-liter Multijet inline-four-cylinder diesel from the European market. The Multijet diesel is rated at 170 horsepower and 203 lb.-ft. of torque (350 Nm) at 1,750 RPM. It is paired with a ZF-based 9-speed automatic transmission and can achieve 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph) in about 8.9 seconds in the Renegade. The stout little diesel is paired up with Jeep’s Active Drive Lock 4×4 system, which includes a low range and locking rear differential.
Adding to its off-road prowess, the Comanche Concept features some Jeep® Performance Parts (JPP) like a set of off-road rock rails and a 2-inch lift kit. To help with traction, the Comanche rolls on 16-inch painted wheels and 32-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A tires.
While the Comanche Concept will likely never make it to production, it is still an amazing little package that could work in areas around the globe where the Gladiator is too pricey for most of the public. We could see such a vehicle being a hit in Latin America and India.
2016 Jeep® Comanche Concept Image Gallery:
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