LAS VEGAS – For nearly four years, Pink Jeep Tours (www.pinkjeep.com), an off-road tour company in the Southwest, developed and refined the Tour Trekker — the first of its kind high-end, all-terrain, 4-wheel drive vehicle designed to be the ultimate tour vehicle.

Custom-built to navigate tough desert terrain and overcome challenging climate, the Tour Trekker seats 10 passengers, while preserving the intimate “small group experience,” which marketing experts note as being key for today’s tourists who want more interaction, control, and participation during their experiences.

“We saw this trend coming years ago,” said Shawn Wendell, owner of Pink Jeep Tours. “We knew in order to get ahead, we needed to find that special vehicle to service our niche market. But when we realized we could not find that vehicle, we decided to create it ourselves from scratch. This was a bold move for a sightseeing company but we took the gamble anyway.”

Each fully-loaded Tour Trekker offers guests a state-of-the-art-designed interior that includes reclining leather captain seats, 15-inch DVD players, large tinted windows for unparalleled and unobstructed viewing, cross compartment A/C venting increasing passenger comfort and foam insulated walls for a quieter ride, and superb climate control. The wheelbase provides a smoother ride with dual rear wheels enhancing stability and safety. True to the Jeep brand, Chrysler designed and licensed a seven-slot grille specifically for this application.

Tour Trekker passengers can enjoy any of Pink Jeep Tours’ 10 off-road tours to the Southwest’s most awe-inspiring landmarks, including the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Death Valley, Eldorado Canyon, Mt. Charleston, Red Rock Canyon, Zion National Park, and Valley of Fire.

By the end of the year, there will be 20 Tour Trekkers in Las Vegas and four in Sedona, Ariz.

To see the Tour Trekker video, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk1QLZHmIlc.