In the future, it appears there will be nowhere that one can be out of reach of connectivity software so long as one remains on the surface of the Earth. This won’t always be a bad thing, if we can believe Jeep’s potential plans for connected communication features for the Wrangler. In a one-minute video called “Path Connected,” the off-road brand provided a glimpse of how it might take advantage of parent-company Stellantis’ push into software services and subscriptions. One of those ideas is called Jeep Trails, a package of more than 6,000 trails an owner could pre-load into the Uconnect navigation system. Of the several concepts in the video, it’s a wonder Jeep hasn’t rolled this one out already.
The next is over-the-air updates, which one would expect to be a necessary component of every automaker’s arsenal. There are simply too many software features in a vehicle that go obsolete or buggy too quickly — with more programs and apps on the way — to leave owners at the mercy of such supposed features. The caption for OTA updates sells “continuously and effortlessly enhancing your Jeep 4×4’s technology,” which is like the TikTok challenge, “tell me how you’re going to start a subscription service or a menu of cost-to-unlock features without telling me.”
Group Ride would be a truly handy service, like Apple’s Find Your Friends app but it’s Find Your Friends’ Jeeps while on or off the trail. It looks similar to a social network, owners uploading Jeep 4×4 Profiles with their Wrangler information like specific model and modifications, then making their profile available to any nearby Wrangler. A party of Wranglers could also set up dedicated groups to keep track of each member of the party.
Finally, there’s an augmented reality display that could also be of great use when desired, projecting important vehicle or trail information onto the trail.
Jeep intimates that the tech could work even without cellular connectivity, a must for the kinds of trails Jeepers love to haunt, but doesn’t go into how that would work. Check out the vid to see where Jeep might be going.
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