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Jeep teases Trailcat and other Easter Safari concepts

Update: It's confirmed. The Trailcat is a Hellcat-powered Wrangler concept. Stay tuned for more details. Ahead of the 50th annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, the company is teasing two of the seven concepts it'll be taking along. There are virtually no solid details about these two Jeeps, save that they exist. But just reading the word scrawled across the Jeep Wrangler Trailcat concept's hood gets the blood pumping. We've been hearing about Hellcat-powered Jeeps for a while now. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk has been the subject of a steady drum-roll of rumors and reputed confirmations, and even a spy video. But that's the Grand Cherokee. But a Wrangler? The aftermarket has been fooling with it. A company called Hauk will stuff one in a Wrangler for you, and surely other companies will follow. For Jeep itself to stuff one into a concept vehicle seems like a great way to fire up the diehard Wrangler folks. The other concept is called the Jeep Crew Chief, and it looks like an update of the Jeep Chief concept from last year. That incredible, retro design recalled the SJ-generation Jeep Cherokee of the 1970s and '80s. Last year's Chief was based on a Wrangler Unlimited, with the rear doors slightly disguised to emulate its two-doored forbearer. Based on the "Crew" part of the name, we can surmise it might be a crew-cab pickup conversion with the wonderful Chief front end. Expect it to be a hit, as well. Related Video: Jeep Truck SUV Off-Road Vehicles easter jeep safari

2019 Jeep Renegade gets new turbo engine and new styling

We told you about the European-spec 2019 Jeep Renegade in June, but today we have the low-down on what the U.S. can expect from the refreshed crossover. New for 2019 is a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 177 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. That means the 1.3-liter boosted four is actually more powerful than the outgoing 160 horsepower 1.4-liter. This engine will be standard on Limited and Trailhawk models but optional on the Sport and Latitude — those cheaper trims will get the carryover 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine standard. If you option the 1.3-liter, it'll come with stop-start tech as well. Regardless of engine choice, you'll be getting a nine-speed automatic transmission because the existing six-speed manual is MIA for 2019. As a refresher from what we learned before, the Italian-built Jeep crossover gets new front and rear fascias plus new wheel designs to differentiate it from 2018. You can even get 19-inch wheels on Latitude and Limited trims. An available full LED lighting package brings LED headlights, daytime running lights, fog lamps and taillights. Driver assistance features including adaptive cruise control, parallel/perpendicular park assist and front parking sensors are optional as well. There aren't any pictures of the new colors yet, but you can get Slate blue, Sting grey and Bikini paint on your Renegade ... interesting name choice on the last one. Of course, the Renegade will be offered in both front-wheel and four-wheel drive, with the Trailhawk being the most capable of the bunch off-road. Jeep hasn't released official fuel-economy numbers for the 1.3-liter turbo, but it says the smaller engine and active grille shutters should yield an improvement over 2018. Pricing and availability remain a mystery, but we don't imagine it'll be much longer until that information is available. Featured video:

Updated 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee ace same controversial moose test it failed in 2012 [w/video]

Some background: one of the more scandalous international incidents of he-said/he-said from 2012 was when Swedish magazine Teknikens Varld put the Jeep Grand Cherokee through its "moose (or elk) test" and reported that the SUV nearly rolled over. That lead to a whole lot of accusations and rebuttals: more than one website and Chrysler's own blog reported that the Jeep was overloaded; Chrysler said Teknikens printed the magazine then let Chrysler respond, Teknikens answered all of the charges in a lengthy post and said Chrysler was given a chance to comment before it went to print; when Chrysler sent investigators to oversee the test and the Jeep didn't go up on two wheels as it did in the first test, furthermore all four wheels stayed on the ground when Auto Motor und Sport tested a Grand Cherokee in the same way.
Teknikens then re-ran the test with a new vehicle and said it's been doing this test since the 1970s, uses the loading information that Chrysler provides to the Swedish motor authority and the previous Grand Cherokee passed with no problem. In the second test, the Jeep failed again, then it gave Chrysler engineers access to the car's electronics and ran the test again. In that second round the Grand Cherokee didn't repeat the lurid two-wheel action, but in eleven runs it blew out front left tire seven times. Chrysler still objects to the results of all of those tests and maintains that vehicle was safe.
The 2014 Grand Cherokee was given its shot at the gauntlet in the latest round of moose tests, and Teknikens Varld reports that it passed without any problem at all, its stability control working perfectly, controlling motion at low speeds and all the way up to 44.1 miles per hour. You can watch the video of the new test and read the press release from the magazine on the updated Grand Cherokee below.