Wrangler-based pick-up at LA show
Wrangler Suv-derived Gladiator to cash in on huge home demand for 4x4 trucks
Jeep has revealed the Gladiator, its new heavyduty pick-up truck based on the Wrangler, at the Los Angeles motor show.
The new model is the first pick-up Jeep has produced since the Cherokee-based Comanche went off sale in 1992. The Gladiator is designed to cash in on the hugely lucrative North American truck market and will go on sale there next year. European sales have yet to be confirmed.
Said to combine “rugged utility, versatility and functionality”, according to Jeep boss Tim Kuniskis, the Gladiator features the same body-on-frame chassis as the Wrangler and retains many of that model’s styling cues. The Wrangler’s iconic front grille shape remains, but it features extra cooling vents to maintain optimum engine temperature when the vehicle is used for towing.
The Gladiator is 787mm longer than the four-door Wrangler. In Crew Cab configuration it features a 1524mm load bay, and the model is capable of carrying loads up to 725kg and has a 4370kg towing capacity.
In the US it will be offered with either a 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine or, from 2020, a 3.0-litre V6 diesel, with eightspeed automatic or six-speed manual gearboxes offered. Two different types of all-wheeldrive systems are available, with both offering full-time torque management. Further rugged 4x4 features include electric front and rear-axle locks, a limited-slip differential and electronic anti-roll bar disconnect. The Rubicon model wears 17in wheels with 33indiameter off-road tyres.