Jeep Revives the Scrambler Name as a V8 SRT Concept at SEMA
Jeep has unveiled the Wrangler Scrambler SRT Concept at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, a two-door pickup built on the Wrangler with a V8 engine and the first independent front suspension ever fitted to a Wrangler. Carscoops reported the debut on 3 November. Jeep has not committed to a production version and has not given a price.
Key takeaways
- Two-door Wrangler-based pickup with a short load bed, removable roof and structural roll cage.
- Long-travel independent front suspension developed with off-road racer Casey Currie.
- Top Gear quoted a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 with 350 kW (470 bhp); other outlets said Jeep gave no figures.
- No launch date, no price and no production commitment.
A Scrambler built for desert speed
The concept is styled after the CJ-8 Scrambler pickup of the 1980s and is the first Jeep concept to wear the SRT badge, Auto123 noted. Jeep confirmed earlier in 2026 that a two-door Scrambler truck based on the Wrangler would return, and this show car is the first look at a high-performance version of it.
The body has been reworked from the windscreen pillars back. Longer doors, new rear panels, an integrated load bed, a tailgate with Scrambler lettering and wider wheel arches turn the Wrangler into a compact pickup. At the front sits the sharknose grille first seen on a concept at the 2026 Easter Jeep Safari, and the paint is a bright Punk'n orange.
Suspension and engine
The ladder-frame chassis is shared with the Wrangler, but the front axle has been replaced by long-travel independent suspension. Jeep developed it with Casey Currie, who won a class at the NORRA 500 in a modified Gladiator, and it is based on the system in the earlier Jeep Striker concept. At the rear sits an axle inspired by desert trophy trucks, which Jeep says improves stability, steering precision and wheel control at high speed. Top Gear lists 17-inch bronze beadlock wheels with 37-inch off-road tyres.
Reports differ on the engine. Carscoops and Auto123 wrote that Jeep confirmed a V8 without giving displacement, power or torque. Top Gear, writing on 4 November, quoted a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 with 350 kW (470 bhp) and 637 Nm (470 lb ft).
Cabin and load bed
The rear seats are mounted in the bed and can be removed or turned through 180 degrees to face backwards. The bed has a spray-on liner, and the roll cage is part of the structure. The cabin uses Dark Graphite leather with orange inserts, bronze trim and SRT logos. Tim Kuniskis, head of American brands and SRT Performance at Stellantis, said the concept shows what happens when SRT "stops treating the trail as the limit".
What it means for buyers
Nothing can be ordered yet. Carscoops expects a production Scrambler could reach US dealers within the next couple of years as a shorter, sportier truck positioned below the four-door Gladiator, which it would not replace. Jeep has said nothing about markets outside North America, so European buyers should treat the SRT version as a show car for now.
Read about every generation of the Jeep Wrangler or browse the Jeep catalogue.
Sources
- Carscoops: Jeep Scrambler returns with V8 power and independent front suspension (3 Nov 2026) (accessed 4 Nov 2026)
- Top Gear: Jeep brings back the Scrambler as a desert racing pickup (4 Nov 2026) (accessed 4 Nov 2026)
- Auto123: SEMA 2026, Jeep unveils V8-powered Wrangler Scrambler SRT (2 Nov 2026) (accessed 4 Nov 2026)
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