Last year, Mopar, which is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ in-house accessory supplier sold 1.2 million Jeep accessories, which works out to nearly two add-on parts for every Jeep model sold in the U.S. “Accessories and customization are an important ‘why buy’ for the customers,” and this will soon prompt Jeep Malaysia to offer some of these exciting products to our local Jeep owners.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Overlander (above)
This version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee is meant for off-roaders who want to go on long-distance journeys, so it packs a diesel engine for extra-long fuel range and a pop-up camping tent atop the roof racks. A small ladder allows vehicle occupants to climb up to the tent, which weighs just 100 pounds and can be stowed again in a compact hard shell. The car uses an air suspension, marking the first time that Jeep has taken a vehicle with air suspension to Moab, and it has been reprogrammed for a 1-inch higher ride height.
Jeep Chief
Perhaps the most fun of all the concepts, the Jeep Chief pays homage to old-school beach cruisers. It sports a new fiberglass front fascia with a bold chrome grille, and a modified rear with a fixed roof and a fold-down tailgate. The cargo area is lined with real wood and the shifter is a tiki figure also made from Rosewood. Vintage surf stickers have been used to “sticker bomb” the interior plastics, while a wild blue-and-white flower cloth adorns the seats. The roofline has also been chopped by 2 inches.
Jeep Wrangler Africa
Based on a Wrangler Unlimited, this model’s body has been extended by 12 inches in length and 4 inches in height, and the spare tire has been moved from the rear door to the underbody, providing extra cargo room within the SUV. The Jeep Wrangler Africa is actually an export model fitted with a 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine that’s available in the Wrangler overseas. It also features a 2-inch lift kit, Fox shock absorbers, a new front bumper with functional winch, and strapped-on fuel tanks for long-distance excursions.
Jeep Staff Car
It may look like it came straight from Normandy, but the Staff Car is actually a regular 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited made up to look like a military vehicle. The B-pillar has been removed, so the front seats have only lap-belts instead of three-point ones, and Jeep rides on special 16-inch wheels with genuine military-spec Firestone NDT tires. Neat details include the stretched canvas roof, a whip antenna, a “MO GAS” label above the filler cap, and a wooden cooler in the cargo area that holds 85 cans of what the block-printed label calls, “12-16oz Emergency Ration Containment Vessels.” The entire car was painted in a military-like sandstorm paint scheme Jeep pulled the Wrangler apart so every exposed component, include engine, suspension, and frame elements, are finished in the color. Also present are “J8” front and rear bumpers from the military-spec Wrangler, with functional helicopter lift hooks.
Jeep Wrangler Red Rock Responder
This Jeep Wrangler Unlimited has had its wheelbase extended by 14 inches, and aft of the rear doors, Jeep has fitted totally new bodywork. The sides of those buttresses house all manner of off-road recovery gear and tools, while the rear has slide-out trays for longer items like shovels. The Responder is headed to the Jeep Easter Safari to keep other Jeep owners out of trouble. The Jeep Wrangler Red Rock Responder also packs a 4-inch suspension lift, a winch, prototype rock rails, LED lights on the A-pillars, LED headlights, and Dana 60 axles with aggressive 5.38:1 gearing for rock crawling.
