Imagine a car buyer who’s not necessarily passionate about automobiles, but prefers to research purchases thoroughly browsing the Jeep website in search of an electric compact truck. Such a person might be surprised to find out that such a go-to offroading brand doesn’t yet offer a battery-powered pickup, nor does its lineup include a compact truck. And while the company is working on the matter (more on this below), for the moment we have to rely on independent artists to picture such a model.
The digital creation peeking at us from the screen is the kind of machine that could handle both work and city driving, even though a production model would probably have to add some fenders that can keep the mud away while you head out to the office.
Freelance automotive designer Aitor Amigo Lopez (aka amigodesigns) integrates traditional Jeep elements, such as the seven-slot grille or the massive wheels/tires while introducing a design language that’s rugged enough for the badge and could easily serve the brand over the next decade or so.
Some of you will undoubtedly spot a bit of Cybetruquesque minimalism here, but the level of detail is much greater and, for one, the way in which the surface treatment helps the doors stand out is remarkable.
The Barcelona, Spain-based artist pictures sharp LED lighting for the compact truck and if this looks appealing during the day, we can only imagine what happens when the sun sets.
It’s been three decades since Jeep had a compact truck in its showrooms (that was the Comanche), but now that this segment is gaining more and more traction in North America, parent company Stellantis is aiming to give vehicles such as the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz some serious competition. However, with so many brands under its umbrella, Ram seems like the most likely pathway to this, so it remains to be seen if the Jeep Gladiator mid-size offering will receive a smaller brother.
However, as far as electrification is concerned, Jeep has stated that its will offer a zero-emission fully electric 4xe model in each segment by 2025. Meanwhile, the badge is used for plug-in hybrid models such as the Wrangler 4xe and the Grand Cherokee 4xe landing in 2022.
And while the Gladiator’s Wrangler base means we could’ve expected to see a PHEV version of the truck, we still have some waiting to do until this shows up.
