Jeep Gladiator (JT)


The Jeep Gladiator is a midsize pickup truck manufactured by the Jeep division of FCA US. It was introduced at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show on November 28, 2018, and went on sale in the spring of 2019. Based on the same platform as the Wrangler JL, the Gladiator is Jeep's first pickup truck since the Comanche was discontinued in 1992.

History

The vehicle's name harkens back to the original Jeep Gladiator, made from 1962–1988 and known as the J-Series after 1971. Jeep considered reviving the Gladiator name alongside Comanche and most commonly, as well as simply using a new name, before deciding on Gladiator, feeling it fits the truck the best.
A version of a Jeep Scrambler pickup truck was shown in 2003 at the North American Dealers Association. In late-2004 the Jeep Gladiator concept was introduced. The 2005 Gladiator Concept did not feature a removable roof, but featured removable doors and a pickup bed. It also previewed the design of the upcoming Jeep Wrangler. The Gladiator concept was powered by a 3.0L Common-Rail Diesel engine produced by VM Motori, mated to a manual transmission, and four-wheel-drive. It featured functional rear mini-doors, and rear seating. The Gladiator concept featured a green-on-gray color scheme for both the exterior and interior.

Exterior design

The all-new four-door, five-passenger midsize Gladiator features exterior and interior styling cues from the Wrangler JL. Taylor Langhals was the lead exterior designer on Gladiator. Because a truck is frequently used for both hauling and towing, the front grille slots were enlarged to allow for increased airflow and heavier-duty engine cooling. A full-sized spare tire, normally mounted on the Wrangler's rear tailgate, is mounted underneath the cargo bed of the Gladiator.
Four different roof options are available, similar to those on the Wrangler JL, including a black vinyl Sun-Rider soft top and a premium black fabric Sun-Rider soft top, a black Freedom-Top three-piece hard top, and a color-keyed Freedom-Top three-piece hard top, both of which have removable aluminum roof panels.
The truck has front and rear doors that can be fully removed, as well as a windshield that can be lowered. The Gladiator is unique in that it is the only truck available with a removable roof.
A front facing trail cam, mounted in one of the front grille slots, is also available that displays an image on the touchscreen of what is directly in front of the vehicle, and will assist in off-road maneuverability, such as water fording, as well as climbing over objects like logs and rocks. The "Off Road Pages" application, displayed in the instrument cluster, allows a Gladiator driver to view approach and departure angles, steering angles, and more.

Trim levels

The Gladiator is available in base Sport, mid-level Sport S, luxurious Overland, and off-road ready Rubicon. The Gladiator and Wrangler JL diverge when it comes to their luxury trim levels. The luxury Wrangler is named "Sahara", while the luxury trim on the Gladiator is known as the "Overland" model. When equipped with leather upholstery, the Overland receives a stitched soft-touch dashboard surface and hand-stitched dashboard, similar to that of the Wrangler Sahara.

Powertrain

At launch, the only engine option for the Gladiator was the 3.6L Pentastar V6 gasoline engine with Variable Valve Timing and an Electronic Stop-Start System, and like the Wrangler JL, produced 280 horsepower. However, a 3.0L EcoDiesel Turbocharged V6 diesel engine will become available in mid 2020. The 3.6L V6 will be mated to either a six-speed Aisin manual transmission, or the Wrangler JL's ZF 850RE eight-speed automatic transmission. Like the Wrangler JL, all Gladiator models are four-wheel drive.

Payload and towing capacities

Payload for the Gladiator is. The bed of the truck can be optionally equipped with a rear folding tonneau cover, which features a "Weekend Warrior Mode" that allow for the tailgate to be closed and 2 x 4 lumber to be hauled in the pickup bed and only one section of the tonneau cover to be open. The tailgate is hinged, and can be locked in a partially-open position if the owner does not want to fully lower the tailgate.
The standard Gladiator features a towing capacity of, though a heavy-duty towing package is available on select Gladiator models that increases the towing capacity to and includes a 4.10 rear axle ratio.
The diesel-powered Gladiator will feature a lower towing capacity rating than the gasoline-powered variant.

Off-roading

The Gladiator features an approach angle of 43.6 degrees, a breakover angle of 20.3 degrees and a departure angle of 26 degrees. The Rubicon comes with front- and rear-axle electric lockers and an electronic disconnecting front sway-bar.
A front camera system is available on the Gladiator that allows the driver to see obstacles in front and to the sides of the vehicle while off-road.

Interior

Unique features on the Gladiator include a flat rear load floor for carrying of longer and taller items inside the truck's interior, secure and lockable storage underneath the rear bench seat, and a removable Bluetooth wireless speaker that charges when the vehicle is running, and the speaker is in its docking station located behind the rear bench seat. From the front seats forward, the Gladiator features an interior design that is nearly identical to that of the Jeep Wrangler JL.
Like the Wrangler JL, three different touchscreen infotainment systems are available on the Gladiator, each integrating the rearview camera into the touchscreen:
The Gladiator has most safety features that are also in the Wrangler JL including forward-collision warning with active braking and adaptive cruise control. The Jeep Active Safety Group and Jeep Advanced Active Safety Group are both available on all models except for the base Sport, and included on the Rubicon Launch Edition.
Safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate for the 2020 model of the Gladiator, the Front Drivers Side received a 4 / 5 stars, and the Front Passenger Side received 5 / 5 stars. The technical crash test report for those ratings was prepared by Calspan Corporation and was released on December 10, 2019.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, has not released their ratings for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator as of December 2019.

Marketing

The introduction video at the Los Angeles Auto Show used a sound clip from the 2000 film Gladiator, showing the original Jeep Gladiator telling the new model that it "needed to win the crowd", just before the formal introduction of the new model. During Super Bowl LIV, Jeep premiered a commercial for the Gladiator starring Bill Murray, reprising his starring role from the film Groundhog Day. It was named the best commercial of Super Bowl LIV on USA Today's Super Bowl Ad Meter survey.

Special editions

Rubicon Launch Edition

Jeep celebrated the launch of the all-new Gladiator with the limited-edition Rubicon Launch Edition model. Available for preorder only through a special website, and only on April 4th, 2019, the Rubicon Launch Edition is based on the top-of-the-line Rubicon trim level, and includes all available options on that trim level with no additional options available. Available for an MSRP of $62,310, only 4,190 limited-edition Rubicon Launch Edition Gladiators will be produced. Special features that distinguish the Rubicon Launch Edition from other Gladiator models include special badging, special wheels, and a leather-wrapped instrument panel with red stitching. The Launch Edition is available in five colors: Black, Bright White, Firecracker Red, Granite Crystal Metallic, and Billet Silver Metallic.

North Edition

In late 2019, Jeep introduced the Gladiator North Edition. Based on the luxury-oriented Overland model, the North Edition is marketed towards Gladiator buyers living in colder climates. In addition to the standard equipment offered on the Overland, the Gladiator North Edition model adds features such as the U Connect 4C 8.4 touchscreen infotainment system with SiriusXM Guardian, satellite radio, and Travel Link services and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, the nine-speaker Alpine premium amplified audio system with subwoofer, the Cold Weather Group, a unique "North" emblem on the rear tailgate, and rubberized all-weather front and rear floor mats. The North Edition is the first special-edition Gladiator trim level to be released, and will be followed by the Gladiator Mojave model.

Mojave

At the 2020 Chicago Auto Show, Jeep introduced the Gladiator Mojave. The Mojave is the first "Desert-Rated" Jeep model. Features on the Mojave trim include 33-inch Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires, unique seventeen-inch painted aluminum-alloy wheels, FOX brand 2.5-inch internal bypass shocks with external reservoirs, a unique "Desert Rated 4X4" emblem in place of the "Trail Rated 4X4" emblem on both front fenders, unique "Mojave" decals on both sides of the hood, orange tow hooks, an "Off Road Plus" button on the center console for increased off-road capabilities, and the ability to lock the Gladiator's rear axles at high speeds when in 4WD High mode. The interior, when equipped with the optional leather-trimmed seats, features special heat-reflective seating material that is engineered to withstand the hottest climates.

High Altitude Edition

At the 2020 Chicago Auto Show, Jeep introduced the Gladiator High Altitude Edition as the new "up-level" Gladiator trim level. The High Altitude Edition features a unique emblem on the rear tailgate, and also features twenty-inch all-season tires and black-painted aluminum-alloy wheels, color-keyed front and rear fender flares, color-keyed front and rear door handles and side mirrors, color-keyed front and rear bumpers, LED front and rear lighting, a color-keyed three-piece hardtop roof, a standard 8.4-inch U Connect 4C touchscreen infotainment system with SiriusXM Guardian, satellite radio, and Travel Link services and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, an Alpine Electronics|Alpine nine-speaker premium amplified audio system with subwoofer, leather-trimmed seating surfaces with heating for both front bucket seats and the leather-wrapped steering wheel, and black "Trail Rated 4X4" emblems on both front fenders.

Altitude

Also introduced in 2020, the Gladiator Altitude is based on the Sport S model. The Altitude features a body-color grille and fender flares, 18-inch Granite Crystal aluminum wheels, and a black hardtop along with blacked out interior accents.

Competition

The Gladiator is a midsize pickup truck, and competes with other midsize pickup trucks already on the market, such as the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon, the Ford Ranger, the Nissan Frontier, the Honda Ridgeline, and the Toyota Tacoma.

Recalls

On September 13, 2019, Chrysler announced a recall for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator JT, with approximately 3,427 total Gladiators affected. The Dana Corporation, which manufactures the rear driveshaft for the Gladiator, may have assembled the rear axle monoblocks without grease, which could lead to the potential fracture of the rear driveshaft, leading to a sudden loss in power. Jeep dealers will replace the rear driveshaft on affected 2020 Gladiator models. The recall, which affects 2020 Jeep Gladiator JT models built between December 15, 2018 and June 25, 2019, is expected to begin on October 18, 2019. There has also been a Stop-Sale Order issued for all affected Jeep Gladiator JT models still on dealership lots. Only Gladiators which were built before June 25, 2019 are affected by the recall.