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Future Jeep Wrangler Rendering Is a Mash-up of Various Influences, All 100% Cool

For a model so heavily linked to its past like the Wrangler, Jeep has done a surprisingly good job of keeping it modern and up to date. Not only can you buy a plug-in hybrid version these days, but people don't even seem fazed by talks of using pure battery-power, and nothing else.
Jeep Wrangler rendering 9 photos
Photo: Arjun Kurunji via Instagram/Behance
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That's because ever since its introduction about a year ago, the Wrangler 4xe has proven to be a huge success. It seems to defy logic and reasoning, and yet the market reaction doesn't lie. Somehow, people felt (and continue to feel) like they need a hybrid off-roader capable of driving in electric mode for up to 22 unpaved miles (official figures).

While taking giant leaps in the powertrain department, it seems like the exterior design is best characterized by the "tiny baby steps" phrase. You just know things are sketchy when you need to make a list of differentiating features between the new and the old generation, just like people did when we switched from the JK to the JL.

The Wrangler isn't the only model in this situation - the Mercedes-Benz G-Class has also remained largely unchanged over the years, just like Land Rover's Defender used to as well. With its latest generation, the latter definitely broke the pattern, and since it proved to be a successful move, why not think about ways in which Jeep could do the same thing for the Wrangler?

Enter Arjun Kurunji, a designer working for Maruti Suzuki in India who obviously enjoys applying his skills outside of his working hours. Arjun came up with a complete reinterpretation of the Wrangler's appearance, and even though some purists might frown at the thought of changing so much of the model's identity, I think we can all agree that, at least in isolation, the designer's proposition looks like a very cool SUV.

You could spend a whole day talking about all the influences behind this design and, to be fair, you probably wouldn't be starting with the Jeep Wrangler. Indeed, the rendering seems to have more in common with the likes of the GMC Hummer EV, Toyota's FJ Cruiser, and even the Land Rover Defender (mostly its boxiness). I feel as though the decision to give up on the rounded headlights is what makes Arjun's concept lose most of its Wrangler spirit as it's a key identity trait of the model - just look at how the square-headlighted YJ was received.

At the end of the day, though, if Arjun's proposal was ever to materialize, it would happen a long way into the future, and who knows how things would have evolved by then. It's safe to assume that, at least by today's standards, controversy would spark from more than just its exterior and interior design. However, if, for some reason, the Wrangler absolutely had to go through a major makeover, I sure wouldn't mind if it came out the other way looking like this.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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