You’ve all been asking for a new compact pickup truck for years, and a new Jeep truck for at least as long. Well, they finally built one. Both actually. Here’s Jeep’s modern interpretation of the classic Comanche pickup; a Renegade with a truck bed. Oh, and it’s a diesel!
Sadly, when I say they built “one” I mean that literally. Every year around this time Jeep trots out a collection of concepts that basically represents what the design team wishes they could convince the beancounters to sell. This Comanche is one of seven design exercises we’re seeing at the 2016 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah this month.
You can tell from the face this Comanche is based on a Renegade; but the wheelbase is actually stretched six inches to make room for a five foot bed.
That bumper on the back is a “75th Anniversary” piece for the JK Wrangler bumper, and the truck bed is is plastic with a steel plate at the bottom and steel reinforcements in the bedsides.
A 2-inch lift kit makes room for 32" BF Goodrich all-terrain tires. Under the hood is the 2.0-liter diesel engine Renegade gets for the European market, saddled to a nine-speed automatic transmission paired with Jeep Active Drive Lock terrain-selectable control. It’s got a true low-range and a locking rear differential.
As for that kickass sand color, a Fiat Chrysler representative tells us it’s called “Beige Against the Machine.”
Contact the author at andrew@jalopnik.com.