The Jeep Gladiator will offer
four trim levels — Sport, Sport S, Overland and Rubicon. The latter will be the
most off-road-focused and will feature aluminum-bodied 2-inch diameter Fox
shocks, full-length sidebars, an additional bar for the bed area, and 33-inch
mud-terrain Falken M/T tires with C load rating. The Gladiator Rubicon will
also offer the option of steel bumpers.
The JT truck will ride on a 5,181-mm frame, making it 787 mm longer than the Wrangler Unlimited. The
truck has a 3,480 mm wheelbase, adding 492 mm to the
four-door Wrangler’s wheelbase. The added length is necessary to accommodate
the 1,254-mm steel bed.
Despite the massive footprint, the 2020 Gladiator
will deliver an impressive off-road capability. In top Rubicon trim, it offers
an 282-mm ground clearance, an approach angle of 43.6 degrees,
breakover angle of 20.3 degrees, and departure angle of 26 degrees. It will
also have 762-mm fording ability.
Compared to the Wrangler, it features bigger axles,
brakes, wheels and a suspension with longer rear link arms set lower for better
control and towing ability. As previously revealed, the 2020 Gladiator will
have a 725-kg payload and a towing capacity of up to 3,470 kg.
At launch, the 2020 Jeep Gladiator will offer a
standard 3.6-liter V6 Pentastar engine rated at 285 hp and 352 Nm of torque. The gasoline unit will be paired with a standard six-speed manual
gearbox or an optional eight-speed automatic driving all four wheels. A diesel option will arrive in
2020 but it will only be available with the automatic transmission.
There are
no details about that engine, but it is likely to be an improved version of the
3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 that also equips the Grand Cherokee and
previous-generation Ram 1500. Said engine is expected to deliver 260 hp and 599 Nm of torque.
The 2020 Gladiator will be the only convertible
pickup truck on the market to offer a removable hardtop, a removable soft top
or both. It’s also the only truck to offer a fold-down windshield. Jeep says the bedsides are
shorter and lower than on full-size trucks, for easier loading and unloading.
The pickup’s tailgate will come with a halfway-down option as well.
The new truck will offer over 80
safety and convenience features, including an “Off Road +” button for driving
on sand and rock crawling, a forward-facing camera, Off-Road Pages for the
infotainment screen, and more.
