Moab, Utah, has been an off-road mecca for decades, drawing Jeepers and rock-crawlers from around the world, especially around the area's signature event, the Easter Jeep Safari. Naturally, Chrysler's eponymous SUV brand understands the importance of relating to its core constituency, so official representatives of the brand, in the form of Jeep executives and product planners, as well as special representations of Jeep vehicles, have been regular fixtures of the events.
Just a few days prior, Mopar and Jeep let loose with two renderings of models that will be in Moab this year, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk II, and the Wrangler "Slim." Although the Wrangler is traditionally thought of as the brand's rough-and-tumble rock-crawler and the Grand Cherokee the urban sophisticate, the conceptual artwork shows somewhat of a role reversal for the two models. The Trailhawk II is shown splashing through some reddish mud, while the Wrangler Slim is shown with the backdrop of urban high-rises and city lights.
In terms of hardware and content for the two models, we're more sure of what will be on the Trailhawk. The Trailhawk sub-trim has traditionally consisted of a locking rear differential, and sometimes including beefier rubber and rock sliders. We're confident all three will be present on the latest concept. The blackout grille treatment comes straight off the 2014 Grand Cherokee SRT, but whether the SRT's 6.4-liter Hemi will be behind the grille is unknown. Our guess is either the big-bore Hemi, or the new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 will be providing power for the concept.
For the Wrangler Slim, all we have to go by are the visual cues on the rendering, which are what appear to be pink anodized beadlock wheels and a blackout grille. Based on contextual clues, it looks like the Slim may be aimed toward a more urban demographic, and the name hints there might be some tie-in with a Mr. Marshall Mathers of "Slim Shady" and Chrysler 200 commercial fame. Who knows, the Slim could also be starring in a modern-day remake of Chris Rock's '90s cult classic "CB4," which featured an um...urbanized YJ Wrangler. Guess we'll have to see if either or both of the celebs make an appearance on the red rocks.