By Will Marshal
It has been 26 years; 26 long years. Not since the days of former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca has Jeep existed in the pickup truck market. Today however, that’s all in the past as Jeep officially unveiled the new Wrangler based “JT” Gladiator pickup truck. Jeep came in with their eyes on the prize as being the most off-road capable and practical oriented truck in the mid-size market… And they wiped the floor with the competition.
What’s that? A scoff I hear in the distance from a Toyota owner? Let’s drill down into the details. The Rubicon trim is coming to the table with stock 33” 285/75R17 Falken Wildpeak AT3w tires, and optional MT01 Mud Terrains, electronic locking differentials inside tried and true Dana 44HD 4.11 gear ratio solid axles, 2.0” diameter Fox shocks and an electronic sway-bar disconnect in the front means this thing is already in a league of its own. Fully removable doors, and top and a folding windshield are all carryover advantages that the Wrangler enjoys, as well as the Gladiator now, too.Power comes from the venerable 3.6L Pentastar V6 that JK and JL owners have enjoyed for years, pumping out 285 horsepower and 260lbs-ft of torque through either a six-speed manual transmission or the fancy eight-speed automatic transmission. Coming in 2020 is the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 producing 260 horsepower and 442lbs-ft of torque through the aforementioned eight speed transmission. (The 2.0L Turbo Inline-four hybrid available in the JL Wrangler is not available at this time.)Being stretched 31” longer than the JL Wrangler unlimited, and sporting a 137.8” wheelbase means she’s long, but coming in nearly three inches shorter than the Toyota Tacoma. A class leading 43.6-degree approach angle bests the Tacoma’s 32-degrees, and departure angles are identical at 26 degrees, besting the crowned king of the pickup realm, the RAM Power Wagon by a half-degree.
With all this wheelbase and bed means that it has to do truck things too, right? But of course! And it does it well, thanks to upgrades in the cooling system, frame strengthening and reinforcement, heavier walled tubing on the axles and larger brakes means a payload capacity of 1650lbs and a towing capacity of 7650 pounds. Unfortunately, all this robustness and the decision to use an all steel bed means that the Gladiator is going to gain around 400 pounds over its four-door Wrangler brother. We can only assume the Gladiator’s 0-60 time will subsequently be less than the average 8.9 seconds posted by the Wrangler Unlimited.Sporting a soft-top standard allows you to have just the rear portion removed and rock the bikini look, or take the whole thing off. Optional is a three-piece hardtop taken again from the Wranglers family roots, with heated rear glass and a sliding center window.The interior remains nearly identical to the Wrangler, with the exception of rear seat bases that will fold up, revealing lockable storage containers below. The rear seat backs can also fold down showing off even more storage nooks and a built-in bluetooth speaker that you can remove and take with you. There is an interior 115vAC outlet in the center console, and one in the bed of the truck which gives you plenty of power for work and play. And as I said before, it comes with a fully steel bed with an aluminum drop down tailgate. The stock Rubicon front bumper is winch ready, and Rubicons also get an additional feature of a front mounted “off-road” camera for helping see over the nose of the truck when maneuvering in tight spaces. Trim packages available will be the Sport, Sport S, Overland (similar to the Sahara) and Rubicon. The Overland trim package will be your high end luxury pack, and the Rubicon (as is tradition) will embody all things off-road.
Built with Pride at the Jeep Toledo complex in Toledo, OH, this American juggernaut will be going on sale the beginning of the second quarter of 2019 as a 2020 model. Order banks should be opening at dealerships mid-march. There is no price details released yet, but that should be new information handed down by Jeep in the coming weeks.
A Jeep pickup. In 2019. What a time to be alive.
Watching several of the videos as I have been waiting for this concept to become a reality . One of the reps states that all trim lines will have dana 44s front and rear. Wonder if he was mistaken, though the payload rating are all based on the lower trim levels with the Rubicon with the least amount towing ability, though only by a small margin. This is of course what I've seen from you tube so.
The Rubicon jl is 50ish depending on trim and your haggle skills. Rubicon Gladiator is going to push 60k without the initial dealer markup. Not trying to be Debbie downer but holy cow that is pretty excessive. With the Chrysler fiat ceo stating the jt is going to intentionally expensive kinds leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I've been scoping the JLs but kind of want to turn away from jeep . Everyone knows you pay a premium for jeep but damn let us pretend were not paying top dollar for low amount of standard equipment
All that being said I'm figuring out how to pick up a jl and convince my wife we need the the Gladiator too. Think the sport is going to be the best bang for the buck
Also I wish you could get a cab chassis option . The rendering random people have been making the Gladiator with chassis mounted campers such as the over seas land cruisers have been running.
So in short I want one preferably matching the JL I want as well
I'm not generally a Jeep fan but I do like the Gladiator in terms of dropping the bed and adding a camper (when someone makes them). It will be interesting to see what people do with them.
If I had the cash to spend it would be a good platform.
Hmmmm, As I drive into town I can’t help but be skeptical of anything jeep because of my past experiences with Chrysler. On top of that it is hard to ignore that the used car lot hawkers are full of the JKs. I mean full. Just 15 years ago I paid about 16k for a new Rubicon. I thought that was a lot of money for a jeep back then. 60k plus just makes my head explode. It is a jeep for gods sake. If I had that kind of bread, no wait, if I had less than half that kind of bread I’d hook up with a 70 series Troopy diesel in a heartbeat. No thanks jeep, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
Before we bought our escapes we wanted 2 4 door jeeps. Nothing fancy, basic. Simple. We wanted them with hardtops, and locking rear diff. That was all we wanted for options. $46,910. Each.
Now we know its a "jeep thing and we don't understand" but 46k for a base jeep. That is a lot of money. We needed 2, so that would have put the bill well into $90k, add taxes and were over $100k for two. I distinctly remember a time where jeeps were much, much cheaper. After hunting through dealerships within 200km, including Toronto (probably the biggest city in Canada) we were told by a few dealers that base models are extremely rare. Most dealer's don't bother ordering them and instead focus on "Sport S" models, or sahara's and a couple of rubicons. We wanted to build up our jeeps. And I wasn't spending over $50 grand for the base to build on. Even if it could be found.
I mean, lets put it in comparison. Lets give the jeep a $50k budget. You could buy:
Jeep Compass 4×4 for 27k which would leave you $23,000 to upgrade it.
Toyota Tacoma 4×4 Access Cab for 37k leaving you $13,000 to upgrade it.
Toyota 4 Runner TRD Offroad 4×4 for 48k, leaving you $2,000 to upgrade it.
Nissan Pathfinder 4×4 for $32k, leaving you $18,000 to upgrade it.
A 4runner TRD Off Road with nicer tires and you are good to go…but I am very biased lol!
For sure. Different things for different people. Id go with a compass, but I'm more into fireroad exploration then hard offroading. Maybe that's the cool bit about the gladiator. It will fit a need. A very unique, specific need.
[QUOTE="Plasmajab, post: 279141, member: 32018"]Before we bought our escapes we wanted 2 4 door jeeps. Nothing fancy, basic. Simple. We wanted them with hardtops, and locking rear diff. That was all we wanted for options. $46,910. Each.
Now we know its a "jeep thing and we don't understand" but 46k for a base jeep. That is a lot of money. We needed 2, so that would have put the bill well into $90k, add taxes and were over $100k for two. I distinctly remember a time where jeeps were much, much cheaper. After hunting through dealerships within 200km, including Toronto (probably the biggest city in Canada) we were told by a few dealers that base models are extremely rare. Most dealer's don't bother ordering them and instead focus on "Sport S" models, or sahara's and a couple of rubicons. We wanted to build up our jeeps. And I wasn't spending over $50 grand for the base to build on. Even if it could be found.
I mean, lets put it in comparison. Lets give the jeep a $50k budget. You could buy:
Jeep Compass 4×4 for 27k which would leave you $23,000 to upgrade it.
Toyota Tacoma 4×4 Access Cab for 37k leaving you $13,000 to upgrade it.
Toyota 4 Runner TRD Offroad 4×4 for 48k, leaving you $2,000 to upgrade it.
Nissan Pathfinder 4×4 for $32k, leaving you $18,000 to upgrade it.
At least from my point of view, I don't see the gladiators going for less then 50, and for 50k you can get a decently equipped 4×4 full sized truck. I think the cost will be the achele's heel of the gladiator.[/QUOTE]
Pretty much all of this.
While I bought my Frontier Pro-4x used (3 years old) it only cost me $23K…. Looking at a gladiator, that would leave me $30 some thousand left in my pocket.
And to be completely honest, I think the proportions on the Gladiator and it's looks at certain angles to not be great and or look like an afterthought.
I'll be curious as to how these sell.
Im a total jeep guy and that being said the Gladiator might make a good Overland Rig if you take off the bed and install a quality overlanding set up. As a pickup it does nothing for me ill stay with my chevy Dmax.
Like the Australian's do? That would be awesome. I did get a notification that these will be a fleet option vehicle. Usually with that you can request a pickup box delete so I would not be surprised of an outfitter buys a ton of these without a box for that exact purpose.
[QUOTE="Plasmajab, post: 279187, member: 32018"]Like the Australian's do? That would be awesome. I did get a notification that these will be a fleet option vehicle. Usually with that you can request a pickup box delete so I would not be surprised of an outfitter buys a ton of these without a box for that exact purpose.[/QUOTE]
hmm… nice, but price point is a major driver for fleet vehicles. That's why you see so many 4 cyl Nissan frontiers at parts stores vs Tacomas. same truck is a few bucks cheaper.
I can see fleet managers looking at specs and then seeing the $$ and comparing it to the big three's full size rigs. What does a stripper model 1/2 or 3/4 ton from the big three cost?
Depends on the Options, but if I order in a G90, (C/cab 1/2T 4×4 with auto and a/c w hitch) its about 27-29k.
Where are you guys getting your pricing from ?If you want a bare bones jeep they are not that spendy if you look around. [ATTACH=full]77604[/ATTACH]
I think the Gladiator is a cool looking rig and I'd love to own one with a Go Fast Camper. I do think the drivetrain might not hold up once us Overlanders add our heavy gear – tent, fridge, bumpers, sliders, skid, gear, passengers, etc. Lucky for the consumer, there will be plenty of bolt-in Dana 60, Rock Jock 80, what-have-you for a big price.
Also based on starting price for the ready to roll Rubicon model, you can probably build a pretty sweet long travel Tundra which will have more payload, towing capacity, and interior space, for the same or less money.
[QUOTE="Kent R, post: 279171, member: 4328"]the Gladiator might make a good Overland Rig if you take off the bed and install a quality overlanding set up.[/QUOTE]
Here ya go:
[ATTACH=full]77609[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]77610[/ATTACH]
[QUOTE="Smileyshaun, post: 279219, member: 9993"]Where are you guys getting your pricing from ?If you want a bare bones jeep they are not that spendy if you look around. [ATTACH=full]77604[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
doesn't have the better axles, no lockers, smaller tires and soft top… no good…
[QUOTE="The other Sean, post: 279232, member: 4977"]doesn't have the better axles, no lockers, smaller tires and soft top… no good…[/QUOTE]
I was referring to the guy who was looking for a base model and said it was 46k
And really it's hard to compare a Jeep with other vehicles on the market because it's really the only thing with straight axles, selectable lockers front and rear, electronic disconnected sway bar, Dana 44s and a 4-1 reduction gear in the transfer case from the factory. Sure you can do some building of other vehicles but you're going to void most of your warranty and isn't that most the point of buying a new vehicle?
[QUOTE="Smileyshaun, post: 279244, member: 9993"]I was referring to the guy who was looking for a base model and said it was 46k[/QUOTE]Directly from jeep.ca
I'm also Canadian. We tend to get hit with a higher price. [ATTACH=full]77633[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]77634[/ATTACH]
[QUOTE="Plasmajab, post: 279275, member: 32018"]Directly from jeep.ca
I'm also Canadian. We tend to get hit with a higher price. [ATTACH=full]77633[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]77634[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]Oh.. I splurged and went with the dual top. XD
Do I want one … On short yes. We have been talking about it for a bit now. But if it is encroaching that kind of pricing then I will just search for a slightly used 2500 that I want and be at the same price. I know they are not really comparable vehicles but for me the 2500 worth the price. If the gladiator was going to be slightly less than my 1500 then it would make sense but I guess we can speculate and plan all we want but won't really know till pricing info is released.
Well is totally true. They could really shock us and have a more stripped down variant up their sleeves.
Honestly in most adverts and promo material, they often show the fully loaded top of the line models.
But let's say they sell these things with a five speed and v6 gas, 4×4 for 30k, I think the the midsized truck market would have a hell of a competitor on their hands.
Even in fleet use. A solid 4×4 truck would definitely have a great place working in forestry or oil patch environments.
Heck. At 30k ish, I would be first in line.
[QUOTE="Steve, post: 279227, member: 6"]Here ya go:
[ATTACH=full]77609[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]77610[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
Thanks Steve thats exactly what I was talking about.
[QUOTE="Steve, post: 279227, member: 6"]Here ya go:
[ATTACH=full]77609[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]77610[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
This is literally what I want! I hope Patriot Campers makes a PCOR for the JT. It might get me to sell my JK and trailer
I just wish they would release the diesel at the same time. I am in the market summer of next year for a new truck. My two choices are the Power wagon and the Gladiator. I know the Power wagon doesn’t have a diesel option, but sure the hell can carry and haul quite a bit. I would really like the diesel Gladiator for when hauling anything. I do like that the Gladiator is a smaller truck, but also like the built in winch of the Power wagon.
Eh.
I have to hand it to Jeep, they know how to make a vehicle that looks fun. There are a lot of things I like about the Gladiator and I think it would make a great overland rig, but it will probably be panned by many of the rock crawler guys for the overly long wheel base. That, however, can be an advantage in the stability department for less aggressive long-distance travel. It looks fantastic, and despite the shortcomings in the design, it will absolutely print money for Fiat Chrysler.
The big thing that will hold me back is reliability. I still have a bad taste in my mouth about Jeep from the last one I owned – hands down the least reliable vehicle I've ever had in my garage.
[QUOTE="Steve, post: 279227, member: 6"]Here ya go:
[ATTACH=full]77609[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]77610[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
to fit wheels like that you would need to lift the truck or push them further out so they would have full travel. I love PhotoShop making this look cool since Sept 1988
Here is the image so people can play
I've never sat in a Jeep wrangler before. I went to the dealer and decided for a test drive and decided that i am going to cancel my provisional order for the gladiator. If I want comfort like that I will buy a land rover Defender 90/110/130
Nearly $50,000 and you don't even get locking diffs? Am I too young to be moaning about the "price of things these days", but that seems pretty damned expensive for what you get.
[QUOTE="Steve, post: 279227, member: 6"]Here ya go:
[ATTACH=full]77609[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]77610[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]That does look sexy. [emoji41] [emoji106]
Didn't Jeep do this before with the Scrambler? Always thought those look neat but the departure angle was way out there for a Jeep.
All to talk of price! I guess I'll be holding on to my Xterra for a while longer. Seems to me the hidden cost to Jeeps is in all the T-SHIRTS you have to buy to be part of the club.
There's nothing hidden about the cost of a Jeep. When I was looking for a 4wd I considered the JKU, FJ Cruiser, and Xterra. The JKU and Toyota were very similar in price, even on the used market. Some of that might have to do with local factors, being in Utah with snow and lots of off roading, but it was still hard to believe that at a time when Chrysler was in bankruptcy and there was talk of the company being broken up and the brands sold off, that Jeep would still command that high of a buy-in with fairly lousy reliability numbers.
[QUOTE="The other Sean, post: 279232, member: 4977"]doesn't have the better axles, no lockers, smaller tires and soft top… no good…[/QUOTE]
Actually that is the way I would buy it. Get rid of the axles/driveshafts/wheels/tires/shocks/suspension/bumpers etc…. Replace with Ox Locked 1 tons – 3.5 suspension from Pick your brand – New Shocks etc, etc etc. Build it the way you want it
That is the way I would do it, did it, and would do it again…
That's the approach a lot of Jeep guys take, if you know the axles, diffs, shocks, springs, wheels, and tires are going in the bin anyway, get the Sport or X model and throw out the cheaper stuff.