Jeep’s new Gladiator truck has been a very long time coming. The Jeep Wrangler-based pickup had been rumored and teased advert nauseam earlier than lastly — lastly! — debuting on the Los Angeles Auto Show final yr. Fortunately, after a prolonged check each on- and off-road in Northern California, I can inform you it was positively definitely worth the wait.More than only a Wrangler with a mattressThe 2020 Gladiator makes use of a totally totally different body than the Wrangler, and whereas the entrance suspension carries over unchanged, a extra subtle five-link setup is fitted on the rear for higher on-road dealing with and drivability. You can solely purchase a Gladiator with 4 doorways — in contrast to the Wrangler, which may be had with simply two — and there is just one, 5-foot mattress possibility obtainable.

Jeep will initially supply the Gladiator in Sport, Sport S, Overland and Rubicon trims, all of which come customary with four-wheel drive. There’s even a Launch Edition mannequin, restricted to 4,190 items (for 419, the world code of Toledo, Ohio, the place the Gladiator is constructed).

All Gladiators will initially be obtainable with Jeep’s tried-and-true, 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine, with 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. A 3.0-liter diesel engine will come on-line later, however Jeep will not supply the Wrangler’s 2.0-liter, turbocharged I4 engine within the Gladiator. Not an issue — the V6 works simply positive, and you will get it with a six-speed guide transmission (woot!).It’s a Jeep…no, it is a truck…no, it is a Gladiator.
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Off-roads like a JeepThe Gladiator off-roads like a Wrangler ought to, with only some minor compromises. On a Jeep-designed off-road course, filled with thick, clay mud, the 33-inch Falken Wildpeak tires on the Rubicon mannequin are getting an actual exercise. But the Gladiator simply will get up and over rocks, can ford deep puddles and customarily provides off that “we can go absolutely anywhere” vibe — similar to a Jeep ought to.The Gladiator Rubicon retains the identical 44-degree method angle because the Wrangler, so I can simply assault steep hills with out fear of scraping the entrance finish. However, the truck’s lengthy, 138-inch wheelbase reduces my breakover angle a bit — all the way down to 20 levels, from 22.6 in a four-door Wrangler Unlimited. It’s simpler to get high-centered within the Gladiator if you happen to’re doing critical off-roading, although the Rubicon’s rock rails assist hold injury to a minimal. At the again, the Gladiator’s mattress takes away a little bit of rear-end clearance, with a 26-degree departure angle in comparison with the Wrangler Unlimited’s 37, however Jeep protects the mattress with its very personal, smaller rock rail.Make no mistake, the Gladiator ought to nonetheless out-climb and out-crawl each different midsize pickup obtainable as we speak.The Gladiator can simply take drivers to new heights.
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All the opposite Wrangler-spec off-road goodies carry over to the Gladiator Rubicon, like a two-speed switch case, locking entrance and rear differentials, a disconnecting entrance sway bar and a super-low 77.2:1 crawl ratio for slow-speed maneuvering. Heck, the crawl ratio goes even decrease with the guide transmission, to 84:1. You can just about stand up and over something with out batting an eye fixed.

A brand new Off-Road+ mode can regulate the throttle, transmission and stability management for various conditions. When the truck is in 4WD excessive, the parameters are modified for higher-speed efficiency, say whereas working by way of sand. In 4WD low, it really works in the other way, dialing every part again to raised traverse the rougher, extra technical stuff at decrease speeds. The Rubicon is clearly the Gladiator you may need if you happen to routinely sort out robust off-road conditions, however different variations of Jeep’s truck can nonetheless deal with the tough stuff simply positive. Following my thorough check of the Rubicon on Jeep’s course, I took a Gladiator Overland as much as an remoted cabin on a snowy mountain and bombed round and not using a hitch. Even with its much less aggressive, 32-inch tires, and non-lockable differentials, the Gladiator Overland received me by way of two miles of 1-foot-deep snow with no points.Civilized on-road mannersOn the highway again to civilization, the Gladiator’s 3.6-liter V6 is nearly as good right here as it’s within the Wrangler, properly mated to the Jeep’s eight-speed automated transmission. The V6 will get the truck up to the mark shortly, and there is sufficient midrange energy to move slow-moving semis with out a lot drama. By and enormous, the eight-speed transmission fades into the background, shifting easily and unobtrusively.

It was that Jeeps saved to the sluggish lane on the pavement, bouncing alongside at 55 mph with riders shouting at one another to be heard over highway and wind noise. No extra, my associates. The Gladiator is completely satisfied to cruise at 70 or 75 mph with out wandering everywhere in the highway. The Rubicon’s Falken tires make a little bit of noise, sure, however within the much less aggressive Overland, I can discuss to my passengers at a standard quantity.The Gladiator actually is not going to win any dealing with competitions, because of its comparatively comfortable suspension, but it surely holds its personal simply positive. Like within the Wrangler, the steering provides enough weight however lacks suggestions, and the experience high quality is snug sufficient for cruising, however nonetheless appropriately trucky.The Gladiator is a techy truck, too, with obtainable driving aids like blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise management. No, the 3.6-liter V6 engine would not have the 48-volt mild-hybrid system of the two.0-liter turbo, but it surely does have stop-start that ought to assist with gas financial system.With the automated transmission, Jeep estimates the Gladiator ought to see gas financial system rankings of 17 miles per gallon metropolis, 22 mpg freeway and 19 mpg mixed. With the six-speed guide, these numbers change to 16, 23 and 19, respectively. Over my week of driving the automatic-equipped Gladiator Overland, I noticed 20 mpg. Not unhealthy.Truck stuffAt its greatest, a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon can tow 3,500 kilos, which is sweet sufficient for a small camper or possibly a side-by-side or two. But because of its redesigned body, the Gladiator ups towing functionality to 7,650 kilos, which bests each different midsize truck on sale as we speak.Jeep introduced a 22-foot boat to its media drive program to be able to check towing, weighing 5,700 kilos, together with its trailer. The Gladiator’s Tow/Haul mode engages on the push of a button, and whereas driving uphill at a 6% grade, the transmission retains the engine’s revs excessive to be able to ship loads of energy to the pavement. That mentioned, the Gladiator’s mirrors aren’t very vast, so visibility is not the perfect, and the truck’s blind-spot monitoring doesn’t cowl the size of the trailer because it does on different vehicles. For in-bed hauling, Jeep says the Gladiator can deal with as much as 1,600 kilos of payload.Haul your bikes and far more within the Gladiator. 
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However, do be aware that these most towing/hauling rankings solely apply to the Gladiator Sport S with the eight-speed automated transmission. If you step as much as a Rubicon, for instance, towing drops to 7,000 kilos and payload is diminished to 1,160. Get a guide transmission in your Rubicon, and towing drops to 4,500 kilos, although payload will increase barely to 1,200.Techy and topless, if that is your factorInfacet, the Gladiator is principally similar to the Wrangler. It even comes with a soft-top possibility, just like the Wrangler, for open-air motoring. Yes, you possibly can fold the windshield down, too. Go full wind-in-your-face and there is an Ikea-inspired bolt field for all of the that neatly suits beneath your seat, so you will not lose any of the required elements when it comes time to shut the Jeep again up.Jeep’s wonderful Uconnect tech handles infotainment duties, with a 5-inch display screen customary on the Sport, 7-inch display screen on Sport S, and an 8.4-inch touchscreen non-compulsory on Overland and customary on Rubicon, the latter of which provides Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a Wi-Fi hotspot customary. Uconnect is one among our favourite infotainment setups right here at Roadshow, because of its properly organized menus and sturdy set of options. In the Gladiator particularly, I really like that the navigation can present precise longitude, latitude and altitude of my present location, which is tremendous useful when studying maps. The gauge cluster can show pitch and roll information, in addition to details about steering angle and energy supply, so I do know precisely how exactly to push the Jeep.There is loads to love about Jeep’s Uconnect infotainment system.
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The Gladiator Rubicon adverts a forward-facing digicam to navigate obstacles like rocks — it is nice to know precisely the place you are placing your tires.The base Sport mannequin will get two USB Type-A retailers and one 12-volt port, however increased trims add a smaller USB Type-C connection up entrance, in addition to an extra 115-volt outlet, and Type-A and C ports within the rear. A 400-watt, 115-volt outlet is non-compulsory within the truck’s mattress, as properly. There’s even an non-compulsory Bluetooth speaker that is positioned behind the rear seat, to kick out your jams.Worth the waitThe 2020 Jeep Gladiator prices simply $2,100 greater than a base Wrangler, which looks like a heck of a deal contemplating all the additional utility you get. The base Gladiator Sport begins at $33,545, and the top-end Rubicon is available in at $43,545, not together with $1,495 for vacation spot. That’s a bit more cash than you may pay for equally geared up variations of the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma, however bear in mind, the Gladiator provides the perfect off-road functionality, no to say the perfect tow score of any midsize truck. Off-road lovers might actually take a look at a Chevy Colorado ZR2 or a Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, and the Ford Ranger provides a whole lot of functionality with a zippy, turbocharged powertrain, however none of those vehicles fairly match the cool issue of the Gladiator.The Wrangler is a completely iconic SUV, and all of its nice attributes make their option to the Gladiator pickup. It’s positively the truck I — and so many others — have been ready for.Editors’ be aware: Travel prices associated to this function had been coated by the producer. This is widespread within the auto business, as it is extra economical to ship journalists to automobiles than to ship automobiles to journalists. While Roadshow accepts multiday car loans from producers to be able to present scored editorial opinions, all scored car opinions are accomplished on our turf and on our phrases.The judgments and opinions of Roadshow’s editorial crew are our personal and we don’t settle for paid editorial content material.