Loyal customers are chomping at the bit for the first factory Jeep with a bed since the Comanche, and there’s a very good possibility the Scrambler will start north of $45,000.

Jeep fanatics over at FCAauthority.com have, from unnamed sources, pegged the Scrambler’s starting price in the mid-$40,000 bracket. To put that in perspective, the 2018 Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited – the top of the current JL range – starts at $40,995 before destination fees.

READ MORE: Jeep Scrambler Pickup Shows its Tailgate in New Spy Photos

The off-road pickup market makes up a thin but enthusiastic slice of the light truck pie. Chevy’s Colorado ZR2 sets an opening bid just over forty grand, while the knock-em-dead Ford Raptor can very easily push $70,000 if one checks all the option boxes. Bank on at least a $55,000 invoice if you purchase a burly Ram Power Wagon. Put in that perspective, a $45,000 sticker on the Jeep Scrambler doesn’t seem too unreasonable.

By the way, ‘Scrambler’ is simply a nickname at this point; Jeep hasn’t officially announced the model’s name yet.

Our Managing Editor drove the new JL in Arizona late last year, sampling the machine over rocks and sand, finding it to be a more than worthy successor to the JK. The last Wrangler was the machine that arguably saved FCA’s bacon over the years, pushing itself into markets heretofore unexplored by previous Wranglers. Thanks to the JKU configuration and newfound livability inside, families starting buying Wranglers for daily use.

The Wrangler Rubicon is arguably one of the most off-road-ready vehicles right out of the box. With 10.9-inches of ground clearance, a 44-degree approach angle, 37-degree departure angle, and a set of standard 285/70R17 BFGoodrich T/A K02 tires, the Rubicon is ready to crawl its way out of anything. Dana 44 axles are used in the front and the back, while 4.10 axle ratios help torque get to the ground. If the Scrambler packs this amount of kit, it’ll make for one more quiver in Jeep’s band of increasingly hot arrows.

Keep an eye on these pages, folks; the minute we get a chance to drive the new Scrambler – whatever its price – we’ll have a full report for you.