We Drive Mopar's Custom Jeep Compass Trailpass and Renegade B-Ute Concepts

Mopar looks after the little fellas too

Not every Moab Easter Jeep Safari concept flies with the audience out there, and this might be one good case in point. The Moab crowd just is not into the four-corner strut-suspended compact Compass or Renegade vehicles. So the 1.5-inch suspension lift kit concept that made its debut in 2017 on the Compass-based Jeep Trailpass concept and returned in 2018 on the Renegade-based B-Ute concept is not yet planned for production. (See 2019 Easter Jeep Safari highlights in the video below. )

Nobody on hand at Mopar's drive event, held in conjunction with the 2019 Woodward Dream Cruise week, could say exactly how the lift was achieved, but examination of both suspensions suggests the strut length was simply revised so as to preserve the original jounce/rebound travel rates. Interestingly, Mopar doesn't offer a lift kit for the strut-suspended Cherokee, either, figuring that the roughly 1.5-inch lift provided by the Trailhawk option satisfies most potential owners. So maybe think of the Trailpass and B-Ute as riding on Cherokee Trailhawk struts.

I took the Trailpass out to ascertain whether the lift had any meaningful effect on the vehicle's ride, handling, or overall refinement, and it didn't seem to affect much of anything other than extending my reach from the ground to the seats. So there's no obvious downside to this uplift.

And showing a bit more air between the tire and the wheel opening definitely gives the Trailpass more visual trail cred. Adding to that visual cred are rock rails and a set of Continental TerrainContact all-terrain tires wrapped around 18-inch wheels customized with one of the five pockets accented in a golden yellow. That color matches the tow hooks and the roof-basket-mounted plastic traction mats. That Mopar basket mounted to the Mopar crossrails is made by Thule.

The factory black roof is matched by a black custom hood graphic, black mirror caps, and special side stripes. Inside are Katzkin leather seats and armrests, body-color bezels, and Jeep Performance Parts all-weather floormats.

The powertrain is completely stock in both the Trailpass and the B-Ute, but the latter goes a bit further by fitting more aggressive BF Goodrich T/A Baja Champion tires on 17-inch wheels with custom 30mm offsets so they stick out farther and hence need bigger fender flares. Body mods include unique front and rear fascias, grille, and a hood with heat extractors.

Both of these junior Jeeps look pretty cool in the flesh—just don't hold your breath for all these concept parts to make production.