Autoblog

The responses to our post on the Jeep JT Concept that's headed to SEMA this year were overwhelmingly positive. The number of people who commented they'd buy one if Jeep didn't wussify it on the way to production was incredible. One constant theme was the demand for a diesel engine, and most commonly cited was the 3.0L CRD motor used in other Jeep products like the Grand Cherokee CRD. With purposeful, bare-bones styling and a motor generating 376 ft-lbs. of torque, the Jeep JT would be a workhorse budget truck for those not interested in spending thousands more on a half-ton.

Our man Jonathan Ramsey got to play with the Jeep JT in person and echoes everyone's sentiments about the little pickup. He brought back some more pics of the concept, including inside shots that show a basic Jeep Wrangler interior with no frills. We also get a view of the hardtop roof with removeable panels and the JT Concept's current motor, a 3.8L V6.

click above image to view 16 high-res pics of the Jeep JT Concept

The Jeep JT Concept is set to "officially" debut at the 2007 SEMA Show, but unlike a lot of the hardware that will be on display in Las Vegas later this year, Jeep's compact pickup is a capable rock crawling machine. Check out the pics in our gallery of the JT Concept descending into and out of a bathtub at the Hell's Revenge trail in Moab, Utah. We thought it would need an airlift to get out, but the JT climbed right up the opposite wall.

We've learned that the JT Concept is built right off of the Wrangler Unlimited's platform and shares its 116-inch wheelbase, though adding a 5-foot-long bed and removable hard top over the cab. Its rock-crawling cred is bolstered by a 3-inch suspension lift from Superlift, 35-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tires, a Ramsey 9500 UT winch and a Mopar rear bumper and rock rails.

We've said it before that the compact pickup market is ripe to grow if only an automaker would offer a decent competitor to the aged Ford Ranger. Perhaps a Jeep JT could fit that bill and sell like Twinkies, though the brand isn't saying whether or not the concept was built for fun or to test the public's reaction (again) to a Jeep pickup.

Check out the gallery below for high-res pics of the Jeep JT Concept.

[Source: Jeep]