Jeep Canyon Concept Is Inspired by a Plethora of Jeep Vehicles, Including XJ-002

Folks, in our search to see the future before it happens, we end up in some pretty deep and dark corners of the automotive world. One such corner could be the mind of Enrico Novaglio, an industrial designer out of Brescia, Italy working for OSMO Design, a team known for helping brands find their look and feel.

While Jeep Canyon has no affiliation with Jeep or Canyon, the cycling company, it's more closely related to and based around a design from back in 1970, Jeep Bolide XJ-002, or The Kaiser. Not sure what I'm talking about? You will. That beauty featured a Buick-derived, 3.7-liter V6 engine with 160 hp and a GM Turbo-Hydra-Matic automatic transmission.

As for this short piece of literature, the resemblance between Canyon and XJ-002 is undeniable, to say the least. We can clearly see that the designer tried to bring a new-age feel to the vehicle.

Another two cars that were considered when designing Canyon are the 1945 Willys MB and 2014 Wrangler, just as a guideline regarding body lines and wheel wells. The front of Canyon also seems inspired by the modern Wrangler, especially the grill.

With cues and design in mind, it was time to create the machine before you with these aspects in mind. Novaglio even went as far as dropping some would-be specs for Canyon. It's meant to be 195 cm (77 in) tall, 395 cm (155 in) long, and a ground clearance of 42 cm (16 in).

From the side, the XJ-002 lines and body styling are more than obvious. Still, the inclusion of a pinched body now shoots out the fenders as though this little sucker is about to go airborne, a similar design to some Baja-running vehicles or Buggies.

Unlike XJ-002, Canyon also features the more Wrangler-like front I mentioned. Instead of a sharp front design, like the classic vehicle, here it's a little more squared off. Even the headlights follow a similar Wrangler pattern.

Actually, now that I take a closer look at Canyon, it's more Wrangler-infused than I had previously noticed. The body line runs higher than XJ and leads to the rear in a rather boxy fashion before dropping off with a rear-mounted spare at the back.

One thing I like about the rear is the way the spare is secured. It looks like it's just dropped into a slot, much like you'd put a coin into a drink machine. However, the rear bumper acts as a support and stops your spare from falling out. Nothing securing it up top, however. Maybe that crossbar has some magic.

As for the rest of this design, nothing is known. There are no images showing an interior, how doors would open, or even how many people can take this wild ride out for a spin, nothing.

Nonetheless, it is a design that seems to have some of the right stuff to make it in some real-world applications, albeit with a slightly different body styling. But things like ground clearance, approach and departure angles, and a rather short wheelbase mean it could.

Sure, it's just a rendering inspired by a long lineage of vehicles, and while we may never see a Jeep Canyon like this one, it may still act as inspiration for some future designer or vehicle manufacturer. After all, in time, quite a few dreams end up as realities.