The Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler is one of the most beloved Jeeps of all time. It took the fun convertible Jeep CJ, and threw a somewhat awkwardly long bed on the back, yielding a lovable off-road workhorse. Jeep chose to call its Wrangler-based pickup the Gladiator when that vehicle launched in 2019, but now Stellantis says it’s going to offer a new Scrambler, and we need to talk about what that might be, because that’s one of the most beloved nameplates in all of Jeepdom.
When Jeep was developing the Wrangler-based Gladiator, there was lots of conversation within what was then Fiat Chrysler about what to name the truck. Both Gladiator and Scrambler were on the table, and I’m fairly sure Comanche was as well, though I’m sure there was some controversy about resurrecting a Native American name for a nameplate. In any case, Gladiator won out, which I thought was bit odd. You see, the Jeep Gladiator, historically, has been a work-focused (not off-road-focused) pickup truck based on a separate platform than the convertible Jeep CJ/Wrangler.
[UPDATE:
I’m going to update this story with some new info from The Drive about what this new Scrambler is expected to be, as the outlet apparently got to see this thing:
The Scrambler is a two-door Gladiator-based pickup truck. There are four seats and the doors will be slightly longer to enable easier access to those rear seats. There’s also a side step so you can just hop on in to those rear seats.
I say hop on in, because like the K5 Chevrolet Blazer, the hardtop is going to be removable on the rear end. The front hard top panels? They are “freedom panels” from the Wrangler and they pop off with a few twists of some latches. Even wilder is the fact that the second row of seats will be able to be (somehow, it’s unclear at the exact moment) turned around. So those seated in the rear can be facing backwards with the roof off, jump seat style.
[…]
The front end has a shark nose design and the top edge of the hood cants foward. The headlights are squarish.
Read more over the The Drive, who says this vehicle will have independent suspension. Diehards Jeepers may not love this, but an old Kaiser-grilled rally truck would be cool! -DT]
Here’s a look at an old Jeep Gladiator:
The Scrambler, to me, made more sense as a name, since the new Jeep truck was to be based on the Wrangler and it was going to be convertible, like the old CJ-8 Scrambler:
But anyway, the current truck was ultimately named the Gladiator:
Now, at its investor day today, Stellantis has announced a new Scrambler, and I have no idea what the heck it’s going to be:
So let’s talk about that.
The Dream
Let’s get straight to what I would consider the ideal Scrambler — a vehicle that would knock my socks off and send me straight to the Jeep dealership: any sort of two-door pickup.
The reality is that the Scrambler name, like the old Gladiator name, was associated with a two-door truck — a configuration that I think is much, much cooler than a four-door. Will Jeep desecrate the Scrambler name like it did the Gladiator, and append that badge to a four-door? Most likely. Two-door trucks are niche and sell in small numbers, though if we’re being honest, if there’s any brand for which a two-door does make sense it’s Jeep, since Jeep is all about off-roading, and the most capable pickup trucks are two-doors. Jeep also has a lot of brand-damage to undo, so this could be a fun enthusiast’s vehicle to get the brand’s mojo back.
I’m dreaming, here. But please, Jeep gods, present us with a two-door pickup! The world is a complicated and sometimes dark place; please shine upon us the light of a regular cab Jeep truck!
Please?
The More Likely Reality
If you look in the Ram section of this Stellantis Investor Day presentation, you’ll see what the company has been mentioning for years: A mid-size Dodge pickup:
I have always assumed that the Gladiator and Dakota would share a platform, but what if the Gladiator remains its own thing (or is just nixed entirely), and it’s the Scrambler that shares a platform with the Dakota?
This is obviously a less exciting proposition than a two-door Wrangler-based truck, as the Ram Dakota is almost certainly going to be a four-door, high-volume, street-focused truck instead of a two-door off-road brute. You could use the platform to build a Jeep that’s more capable than the Dakota, but if the Gladiator stuck around, I’d be a little confused about how a Dakota-based Scrambler would be different enough. If the current Gladiator were nixed, why not keep that name?
So I’m not sure how this one makes a lot of sense. Maybe the Dakota will be smaller/cheaper, so this would slot in below the Gladiator? Or maybe the answer is a combination of this and the previous idea: What if it were a regular cab version of the Dakota? Then you could offer both configurations on the Ram for folks looking for cheap work trucks, and the Jeep Scrambler would just be the two-door off-road beast.
I have no idea.
[Update: I’m just seeing the Rampage in the image above. Maybe the Scrambler will be a rebadged Rampage (small hybrid truck) and the Gladiator will be the Dakota? -DT]
A Left-Field Idea
I’ve been thinking a lot about how Jeep should position itself for the future, powertrain wise. For years, Jeep has been showing off electric Wranglers at the Easter Jeep Safari. I don’t think now’s the time for an EV Wrangler, and if you look at the EVs the brand has offered (the Wagoneer S and Recon), those have been met with lukewarm receptions. The Wagoneer S’s sales volumes are sad, and the Recon’s will almost certainly be, too.
It’s time for hybrids, and I mean proper ones. Yes, there have been the Jeep 4xe models, but those were half-baked, with low range and all sorts of quality issues. I’d like to see something a bit more…baked. I’d like to see an EREV like the Ram Ramcharger, whose chassis is shown above.
I think it’d be cool for Jeep to offer both an EREV and a gas Wrangler-like vehicle. That way, no matter what happens with gasoline prices or regulations, Jeep will have a halo machine with a powertrain that will work for the long-haul in all markets.
Imagine a 600 horsepower off-road electric Jeep truck with a gas generator in the back. It’d be awesome.
What Do You Think?
Anytime a journalist ends an article with a question, it means they really have no idea, and I’ll admit it: I have no idea! I don’t know what this new Scrambler will be. I think we should prepare for some kind of Dakota-ized four-door truck. Maybe it’ll be less off-road focused than the current Gladiator, hence the new name? That’s my guess for now, but I would love if it were actually a two-door off-roader, and I’d especially love if it were an EREV, though then you’d probably have to give up solid axles.
Please Jeep gods: Present us with a regular cab Jeep truck, finally. It’s been 35 years!
Top Image: Jeep
It’s gonna be a Jeep Compass with a bed just to fuck with everyone
Stellantis with another recycled nameplate that pales to the original – lather rinse repeat
Comment to the update:
Hmmm, this sounds similar to my initial thought of a gladiator bed on a 2 door Wrangler, but the shark nose, longer doors, and IFS bring up some interesting questions.
Considering the “enthusiast” version would be a true two door short cab with solid axles (at least according to most commenters who might not buy it anyway), it’s odd that they would put in additional investment (for longer doors and four seats) to make a compromised version of that but still won’t have mass-market appeal. So that leaves me thinking that the longer doors and IFS are being borrowed off of another main-line product.
Which brings up an interesting question. The current 2 door Wrangler is a slow seller, with about 12% of total sales. The Scrambler would be an even smaller number. It seems to me like they’re going to make some changes to the 2 door Wrangler to add some length to the doors and then share those to the Scrambler.
Then add IFS to the mix, and you’re probably looking at the next 2 door Wrangler having IFS and stretched doors same as the Scrambler. But that’s getting into suspension and driveline tech that’s shared between the 2 door and 4 door Wranglers… Maybe the Scrambler pulls IFS from the Dakota? And does that mean the 2 door Wrangler no longer shares a basic platform with the 4 door?
Either way, it seems odd that the “short” version of any of these products would be the IFS version, since that’s better suited to high speed desert travel which also favors a long wheelbase. Is this signaling Jeep giving in to the Bronco and ditching solid front axles??
Curious what people think. On enthusiast websites it seems people are often pining for a two door pickup… but I wonder if there really is wide demand for these.
While I don’t love the fact that most modern truck have huge cabs and small beds (my Ridgeline included), is a regular cab really what will sell? A shorter extra cab two door with some storage or seats behind the driver might be ok, but are enough people willing to get rid of the space behind the driver?
Or is this just another “we need a manual wagon” all over again where people won’t really buy them in numbers? Thoughts?
I’m a middle class enthusiast, and I would love a short 2 door pickup in the same vein as the CJ-8. Most of the time.
The problem is, I still take my kids places sometimes when my partner has the “family” car. Or I need a good place for the dog to ride. Or I want to take something with me and keep it dry.
For most days, a 2 door pickup would be great, but the edge cases do get you when you can only afford 1 car (at least at new car prices). So to make the “enthusiast” choice, you really really need to be motivated by the enthusiast part of the equation. And I don’t think a lot of us can afford that.
Well said. The area behind me in my truck is reserved for a) my dog and b) tools that I don’t want to put in the bed or the trunk. And my pup travels with me long and short distances every day…
As someone who learned to drive in a four-speed CJ-8 Scrambler: It has to be a two-door, and it has to offer a manual, or else I couldn’t care less.
I just have no confidence Jeep won’t screw this up. Look at how they’ve fought so hard to keep the Gladiator from being good. Current crop of leaders over there just isn’t good at their jobs.
“Yes, there have been the Jeep 4xe models, but those were half-baked, with low range and all sorts of quality issues. ”
I thought having a low range was one of the defining characteristics of a jeep?
Low range meaning the fully electric range was only ~20 miles. Confusing wording for sure, though.
Shark nose so its going to harken back to a 70’s Jeep pick up. I have to assume its not going to have Wrangler front fenders to achieve this, but the photo with the cloth draped over definitely just looks like a normal Jeep front end.
My parents had a scrambler when I was born, they say they use to plug their seat belts into each others latch so the seatbelts would cross and keep my car seat secure…
Having owned a CJ 8, Comanche, and a Rampage, I’d be grateful if even one of these new vehicles fills the role of its namesake. Probably too much to hope for, but it’s nice to see Stellantis still taking swings.
It had better be a spiritual successor to a geo tracker if they want any chance at bringing back youth.
A drivetrain like a ford maverick, a removable top, a semblance of off road heritage and keep it under 25k.
It’s a tall order but it’s what is required if you want to move large volume and get youth excited about the brand again.
I’ve had three Jeeps: a ’66 CJ5, a ’90 YJ and a ’98 TJ. However, the Jeep I have always wanted was a CJ-8 Scrambler, with the jump seats in the back. I would love it if Jeep built a spiritual successor to the original Scrambler, but there’s basically zero percent chance of that happening based on: <points at everything Jeep has done for the last 20 years>. For now, I’ll enjoy my Tacoma and dream about doing a body-off resto of an 80’s CJ-8 when I retire 😉
Bring back the Commando! “You going Commando today?” “Nope, not with these gas prices. Gonna have to ride my bike again.”
Should revive the Jeepster name instead as they sold far more in the Commando era than Scramblers.
It definietly won’t be the green one at the top—it’s way too cool.
I’m hoping for a decent-sized truck? I think a two-door version likely isn’t possible, but it would be a great option. I’m also not sure that a hybrid from Stellantis would be welcomed right now, but I do think they need to keep progressing with some kind of hybrid on a Jeep.
I would also love to see more graphics options…I’ve seen a Gladiator with throwback Scrambler graphics, and it looked awesome.
Probably the least exciting scenario, but this could mean the next Wrangler, Wrangler Pickup, & Dakota will all use the new IFS body-on-frame platform. And that they’ll keep the Gladiator around for a couple of years just like how they did the Wrangler JK. Likely the smart financial move.
So you’ll have JM Wrangler, Scrambler, and Dakota as the “new-gen” models, and 1-2 years where the JL Wrangler and Gladiator are relegated to fleet special/rental-counter offerings before going away entirely.
I wish they’d keep the next Wrangler/Gladiator solid axle and let the Dakota + a revived XJ serve as traditional IFS/fixed-door offerings a-la Tacoma/4Runner.
Meanwhile, Dodge is probably just a sheet. Not because they have a car to show, but because it’s a ghost.
Fred pulls off sheet as Scooby and the rest of the gang look on:
I knew it. It was a K-car the entire time!
I’m going to assume that the Scrambler is just a new breakfast option at Jeep HQ and the picture with the sheet is just covering up that section of buffet.
Stellantis is seemingly saying all the right things for getting the brands “back on track” but until they are released and reviewed, I don’t trust them to execute it well.
I’m leaning towards DT’s EREV idea. Ford already does something similar with the Bronco New Energy in China, dual motor AWD + a 1.5 turbo range extender up front, 44 kWh of batteries for 140ish miles of EV range. Its going to have a bunch of Chinese tech, considering their new partnership with Dongfeng
If the current Gladiator is any indication, I have no hope of this being anything I’m interested in. Which is a shame as I’ve owned so many Jeeps and am not opposed to another one.
With these new models already having “Ram” in the name, can we just all agree to fold Ram back into Dodge? Dodge Ramcharger and Dodge Rampage are much nicer than names starting with Ram Ram. And I will be calling the Dakota a Dodge Dakota and not a Ram Dakota.
Rambler! I think they own the name still.
Ram Ramcharger Rambler Edition!
“Introducing the 2030 RAM Hampage, RAM Hamcharger, and RAM Hambler! (Hamburgler?)
Complete w/ ham bumpers, ham memory storage, and HAM radio!”
I’ve been saying the same thing. When are we going to put this farce behind us? We all know they’re Dodge trucks. Its been whatever, 16 years (?) and we all just call them Dodge. I told my the wife other day that they’re not Dodge trucks and that they’re technically called Ram and she literally had no idea. That is not a brand that has imprinted itself on the populous.