Wrangler Pickup Returns 'Scrambler' Name to Jeep Lineup: Report

In the early 1980s, the Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler was so cool, even Ronald Reagan owned one. A lengthened CJ-7 with a pickup bed just large enough to be usable, the Scrambler ended its six-model-year run in 1986, just as the more conventional Comanche was entering the market.

Jeep’s found itself without a pickup variant since the Comanche’s exit in 1992 — a grievous omission for hard-core Jeep aficionados — and no amount of four-door Wrangler Unlimited is going to satisfy the crowd until something with seven slots sprouts a bed.

Well, the reveal of the Wrangler-based pickup remains just over a year away, but a new report tells us what to expect. Based on the next-generation Wrangler arriving late this year, the pickup variant sports a longer wheelbase and a familiar name: Scrambler.

Satisfied?

According to sources who spoke to Jeep Scrambler Forum (sister site to JL Wrangler Forums), Jeep intends to resurrect the Scrambler name for the new model, which goes on sale in early 2019.

Besides sounding cool and being part of Jeep’s long and storied history, the Scrambler name fits for other reasons. Like before, this Wrangler pickup is a stretched-wheelbase version of its host model. According to information found in FCA’s dealer system computers, the Scrambler (which carried the official “JT” moniker) sits atop a JK Unlimited frame that’s lengthened by 33 inches, bringing its length to 205 inches.

Other images found in the dealer system show the Scrambler sporting upgraded heavy-duty Dana 12-bolt axles and differential. Jeep assumes would-be owners have hauling and towing in mind.

As for powerplants, the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 (with engine start-stop) discovered in the regular Wrangler’s options list also appears here, sans other engines. This means both Wrangler and Scrambler come with the torque-rich EcoDiesel motor. As for other Scrambler powertrains, it doesn’t look like the dealer system has all the categories filled out. It lists neither the Pentastar V6 or Hurricane four, nor any transmissions. A work in progress, it seems.

The system does list three top options, and yes, they’ll be removable. Expect the availability of a black three-piece hard top, a body-color three-piece hard top, and a black three-piece black Sunrider soft top. Finally, the ability to haul a small load of gravel with the wind in your hair!

We’ve seen various renderings of the 2018 Scrambler for some time now, and the two-door version always looked the most fetching. Well, steel yourself for bad news. According to a source who spoke to Jalopnik, it looks like this pickup’s a four-door-only proposition. Ahead of the bed, the Scrambler is pure next-gen Wrangler Unlimited, the source said.

[Image: © JLWranglerForums]