Jeep Wrangler Scrambler Pickup Confirmed to Rival Ford Bronco
The Scrambler nameplate is coming back. Jeephas confirmed it’s developing a Wrangler-based pickup truck called the Scrambler, reviving a name that’s been dormant since the CJ-era original bowed out in 1985. The move is a direct play for the rugged lifestyle truck segment — and a calculated strike against Ford’s in-development Bronco Sport pickup before it can establish a foothold.
The announcement landed September 9, 2026, as part of a broader Stellantis product offensive that includes new SRT performance models, a Ram SUV, and a long-awaited mid-size Dakota truck. For Wrangler loyalists, the Scrambler news is the headline: a nameplate with genuine off-road heritage is returning as a purpose-built pickup, separate from the existing Gladiator and distinct from the all-electric Recon SUV that Jeep is simultaneously rolling out.
What the Scrambler Name Actually Means
The original Jeep Scrambler — sold as the CJ-8 from 1981 to 1985 — was essentially a stretched CJ-7 with a pickup bed grafted on. It never sold in huge numbers, but it carved out a loyal following among gearheads who wanted open-air Jeep capability with the utility of a truck bed. That combination never really went away as a concept; the Gladiator proved in 2020 that there’s a real market for a Wrangler-derived pickup. The Scrambler nameplate, though, carries something the Gladiator doesn’t: a direct, unbroken line back to the CJ era.
Resurrecting it signals that Jeep isn’t positioning this as a Gladiator replacement or a trim-level variant. It’s a standalone nameplate with its own identity — which matters when you’re trying to own a segment rather than just participate in it.
How the Scrambler Lines Up Against the Bronco Sport Pickup and Gladiator
Ford has been developing a pickup variant of the Bronco Sport, and Jeep clearly wants to be waiting at the segment’s door when it arrives. The Scrambler’s Wrangler underpinnings give it an immediate credibility advantage in off-road capability — the Bronco Sport’s unibody architecture has always put it a step behind the body-on-frame Bronco in serious trail work, and a pickup version built on that same platform will face the same scrutiny.
The Gladiator is the obvious internal comparison, and Jeep will need to differentiate the Scrambler clearly. According to Hagerty’s reporting on the Stellantis pipeline, the Scrambler is described as a “halo model” within the Wrangler family — which suggests it’s positioned above the Gladiator in intent, if not necessarily in price. Think Rubicon 392 energy applied to a pickup format, rather than a Gladiator Sport replacement. The Ford Ranger Raptor also looms as a benchmark: it’s the truck that defined what a performance-oriented lifestyle pickup looks like, and any Scrambler worth the nameplate will need a credible answer to it.
Gas, Hybrid, or Electric — What Powertrain Does the Scrambler Get?
This is where the Scrambler and the Recon need to be kept firmly separate. The Recon is a fully electric SUV riding on the STLA Large platform — the same architecture as the Wagoneer S and Dodge Charger Daytona — with 670 horsepower, 620 lb-ft of torque, and a 222-mile EPA range in its launch Moab trim. It is not a pickup, and it is not the Scrambler.
The Scrambler, per Hagerty’s reporting on the Stellantis product plan, is described as a Wrangler-based model — which points firmly toward internal-combustion or hybrid powertrains rather than the STLA Large EV platform. Specific powertrain details and pricing haven’t been confirmed in the available sourcing, and launch timing beyond a general “coming years” window hasn’t been pinned down publicly. What is clear is that Jeep is treating the Scrambler as an enthusiast-focused halo truck, not an EV showcase. Whether it gets a 392 Hemi option, a plug-in hybrid variant, or both is still an open question — but the platform separation from the Recon makes a pure-EV Scrambler unlikely at launch.
The Bigger Picture: Stellantis Bets Big on Enthusiast Hardware
The Scrambler is one piece of a $25 billion North American product push that Stellantis announced in 2026, part of a larger $70 billion global investment. The offensive is a sharp pivot from the previous leadership’s EV-only direction, and it’s stacked with nameplate revivals and performance hardware: Dodge GLH, Dodge Copperhead, SRT-tuned Jeep and Ram SUVs, the Ram Dakota, and now the Scrambler.
For Jeep enthusiasts who’ve watched the Gladiator age without a serious halo successor, the Scrambler’s confirmation is the news they’ve been waiting for. The nameplate deserves to come back right — with real Wrangler DNA, genuine trail credentials, and enough separation from the Gladiator to justify its own identity. Let’s hope Jeep gives it the 392 option it deserves.
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments