Jeep Trailhawk Concept: New Looks, Traditional 4x4 Chassis

By Motoring Channel Staff - 16/Jan/2006

Detroit, USA — Building on the success of the increasingly popular Jeep brand, Chrysler has released a forward looking concept car design at the 2007 Detroit Motor Show, called the Trailhawk.

While it is plain to see that this is a Jeep, with the familiar grille, headlights and trademark angular wheel arches, the styling is avant garde and takes the Jeep icon to a new place, though whether anyone wants to go there may be another question.

Nick Vardis, the head exterior designer of the Trailhawk concept, said "The key to the look of the Trailhawk is the vehicle's distinctive proportions, due in part to its 116-inch wheelbase. The dash-to-front-axle dimension is dramatically long, giving the vehicle a sense of forward motion, while the front and rear overhangs are tight and abbreviated."

As well as the dynamic new take on the classic Jeep design, the new Trailhawk concept is a proper 4x4, featuring a body-on-frame chassis (the same one from the 4-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited) that gives the concept car the ability to wade deep into the most inhospitable terrain. As well as possessing a hard core 4x4 chassis and a decent ride height, the Trailhawk also gets the best bits from the luxury Jeep Grand Cherokee. 

This concept car is built on the new Wrangler platform, and though it inherits the Wranglers off-road skills, it was designed to gauge public attitudes towards a small-ish 4x4 that is capable of getting muddy, but also quite happy to log thousands of highway miles and offer lots of luxury.

The Trailhawk could eventually make it to production, seeing as it's based on an existing platform, and it also has a number of innovative ideas going on, such as fully-retractable side windows and rear quarter windows, which slide into the cars body. Along with the absence of a B-pillar and the removable glass roof panels, the vehicle transforms into convertible car.

Related articles:
- Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 (2006)
- Jeep Compass + Patriot (concepts)
- Jeep Grand Cherokee (2005)