Well, it’s official. FCA announced last week that production for the Jeep pickup truck will go into production some time in 2019, and it is said to be based off of the 2018 Jeep Wrangler platform. We’ll let that sink in for a moment and ignore any high-pitched squees that may follow. Got it out of your system? Okay, good, because there’s a few drawbacks from this news, most notably the sketchy release date that keeps getting pushed back. Hey, we’ve waited this long for a Jeep pickup truck, a few more years can’t hurt.

Every news source quotes it differently, but so far the reports say the Wrangler pickup could come as early as 2017 or mid-2018, and FCA said it might not get here until late 2019. Yikes, that’s quite a wait. However, FCA also announced a $1 billion dollar plan earlier this year to invest in a new Michigan production plant for building the truck and the upcoming Jeep Wagoneer models. With that kind of money spent, it would be wise to fine-tune it as much as possible before releasing it to the masses, regardless of anticipation.

The Jeep pickup truck isn’t a completely new concept. The Jeep Comanche was the most recent Jeep truck produced, and it was around between 1985 to 1992. Before the Comanche there was the Willys Jeep truck; production on that began in 1947, and the model stuck around for 20 years. The Willys Jeep truck was then followed by the Jeep Gladiator and the Jeep J-series.

Rumors

From what’s circling the internet, the new Jeep pickup truck was expected to look similar to the 1980s Jeep Scrambler, which kind of looks like a clown car with a truck bed slapped onto it. Thankfully, that idea was scrapped, and it seems Jeep is putting a bed on the ever popular Jeep Wrangler. It’s a good idea, considering many aftermarket companies have been modifying Jeep Wranglers into pickup trucks for decades.

There is no confirmation on the engine, but many believe the award-winning Pentastar V6 is a shoo in. With the multiple Jeep models that house a V6 as their standard engine, it’s a good guess. Other rumors say the model may be equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo engine or even a diesel option. The typical Jeep drivetrain options are likely to be available, but the new model could possibly have a new 4x4 system that will be exclusive to the Wrangler pickup truck. When it comes to doing what a truck is made for, the truck’s minimum towing capacity is said to be around 7,000 pounds.

We know this is a whole lot of talk, but with spy photos of the Jeep pickup and the upcoming new platform for the 2018 Wrangler, a lot of the info makes sense. The good news is, the Jeep pickup truck is definitely happening. So good news all around. Confirmation happened earlier this year, and following FCA’s announcement about plans for production, expect more details as they’re released.

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