UPDATE: Latest intel suggests that this is a diesel-powered Jeep destined for possible military use overseas. A shame if true, we say.
When Jeep showed off its JT Concept to the media earlier in the summer, the general feeling was that they should build it and they should build it now. It appears that the suits in Auburn Hills have listened.
The Wrangler Unlimited-based mule pictured (which interestingly is a right-hand drive prototype) has had its rear doors replaced with welded-in sheetmetal, sits higher off of the frame and boasts leaf-springs in the rear - a tell tale sign that this is more-than-likely a Jeep truck under development.
Unlike the JT, there is no partition separating the passenger area from the makeshift bed in the rear, just a hard cover similar to that seen on a production Wrangler.
It's hard to draw any concrete conclusions from such an early mule, but the idea behind the project appears to be to create a truck or truck-like variant of the Wrangler with minimal engineering and additional cost.
The new Chrysler has recently boasted of several new models in the pipeline, and a Jeep pickup would seem to be a no-brainer, especially in light of the sales success of the Wrangler Unlimited.