By comparison
Gladiator gives buyers a range of choices
THE Jeep division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is no stranger to pickup production, having built various generations of them dating back to the original 1947 Willys Overland. So, with a growing interest in off-road vehicles of all kinds, bringing a Jeep truck to market seems to make good sense.
Viewed head-on, the 2020 Jeep Gladiator looks like any other Jeep Wrangler, with a traditional slotted vertical grille, round headlights and a stout bumper. Behind the second-row seat is a 5-foot-long box that’s capable of transporting up to 1,600 pounds of ATV, dirt bikes, camping gear and/or just about anything else you can imagine. Trailering capacity with the proper tow package tops out at 7,650 pounds.
To make the Gladiator, Jeep built a new — and stronger — frame, longer than the Wrangler Unlimited’s by nearly 32 inches. This was necessary to have a decent-sized box and the capability to put heavy things in it. As such, the Gladiator has a best-inclass tow rating.
The distance between the front and rear wheels is increased by about 20 inches. The result is a smooth visual transition from passenger compartment to pickup bed. The Gladiator doesn’t really look like a Wrangler with a truck box slapped on the back.
As with other Wranglers, the Gladiator’s removable doors, hood,
Ford Ranger Supercrew 4x4
fenders, tailgate and fold-down windshield frame are made of aluminum. The Gladiator also matches other Wranglers with an ability to ford water up to 30 inches deep, although with a longer wheelbase, there’s a slightly greater chance of being high-centered going over obstructions (like a teeter-totter).
The steel hardtop can be unbolted and replaced with an optional folding soft-top, or with a hardtop with dual removable roof panels that lets the sun shine over the front seats. A handy sliding rear-window is stan
dard for either hardtop.
The interior is pretty much a walkover from the other Wranglers, including a color-keyed dashboard with myriad knobs and switches, along with a standard touchscreen for the infotainment system. The split-folding rear seat has storage compartments beneath the cushion as well as behind the seat back.
The standard 3.6-liter V-6 — 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque — will be familiar to Wrangler fans and it moves the Gladiator along with surprising authority.
A recently added option is a 3.0-liter V-6 turbo-diesel that puts out 260 horsepower and 442 pound-feet. Note that the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine available in two- and four-door Wranglers is not available.
A six-speed manual transmission or optional eight-speed automatic can be harnessed to the V-6, while the auto box is standard with the turbo-diesel.
Fuel economy for the 3.6 is pegged at 16 mpg in the city, 23 on the highway and 19 combined (automatic transmission).
Four-wheel drive is standard, with two systems available, depending on the model. Command-trac, which comes with all but the Rubicon trim, has a two-speed transfer case with low-range gearing.
The Rock-trac system in the Rubicon has locking front and rear differentials plus steeper low-range gearing for crawling up and down sharp inclines.
Pricing for the base Sport — one of seven trims —starts at $33,000, including destination charges. It comes reasonably well turned out, but you’ll need to pony up a few more dollars for the Sport S trim to get power windows and door locks, push-button start, side steps, all-terrain rubber and other niceties.
Along with the Rock-trac 4x4 system, the off-road thrashing Rubicon adds heavy-duty front and rear axles, specific Fox-brand shocks, high-clearance fender flares, protective skid plates, dual front and rear tow hooks and 33-inch Falken off-road rubber.
As well as the available soft- and hardtops, the options list includes leather-trimmed seats, nine-speaker Alpine stereo and all available active-safety technology, such as autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot warning.
With increasing competition in the category of off-road-capable-vehicles, the Gladiator — along with the two- and four-door Wrangler models — gives Jeep buyers a range of choices, all with a decades-old pedigree.