Jeep revealed its updated Gladiator in the US back in September 2023, with Australian deliveries originally planned to take place in the second quarter of 2024.
That time has come and gone, with the off-road focused ute finally arriving in local showrooms this month, just after Jeep recorded less than 200 deliveries in the first six months of the year – making the Gladiator the slowest-selling ute in the country by far.
Buyers who’ve patiently waited for the refreshed Gladiator have been treated to a price cut of sorts, with the Rubicon now starting from $82,990 before on-road costs, down on its previous $87,250 starting price.
The Rubicon now features as standard the previously optional ‘Lifestyle Adventure Group’ package, which added lockable under-seat storage, a trail rail system, an auxiliary switch bank, 240-amp alternator, a Bluetooth speaker and spray-in bedliner for $2950 extra.
However, the entry-level Night Eagle has been axed from the lineup, taking away a sub-$80,000 variant. Jeep had also heavily discounted the Gladiator last year, introducing temporary drive-away pricing of $64,000 for the Night Eagle and $70,000 for the Rubicon, the latter of which represented a discount of up to $25,000.
Following the update, the Gladiator now adopts a new front grille – still retaining Jeep’s famous seven slots – a new 17-inch wheel design (shod in 32-inch off-road tyres), and body coloured fender flares.
Like the related Wrangler SUV, there’s two new paint colours – ‘41 and Mojito – which join the existing Bright White, Black, Firecracker Red, Hydro Blue, Granite Crystal and Anvil. All colours bar white incur a $1145 premium, while a body-coloured hard top is $1950.
Arguably the largest changes have occurred in the cabin, where there’s a new dashboard which houses a 12.4-inch infotainment touchscreen, significantly larger than the outgoing model’s 8.4-inch display.
Running the Uconnect 5 system, it supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and over-the-air updates.
With the Gladiator being sold exclusively in Rubicon trim, 12-way power-adjustable front seats are standard, upholstered in Nappa leather with hard backs.
The Gladiator continues to be oriented toward an off-road audience, with its Rock-Trac 4×4 system featuring a 77.2:1 crawl ratio, teamed with an electronically disconnecting front sway bar. Underbody components are protected by skid plates and steel rock rails.
Jeep has also deleted its steel mast antenna, moving it to the front windscreen so it doesn’t get snagged on any off-road hazards.
There’s no changes to the Jeep’s engine, which continues to be the 3.6-litre ‘Pentastar’ V6, producing 209kW and 347Nm. Drive is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Unlike most utes, the Jeep Gladiator doesn’t boast a 3500kg braked towing capacity, instead it can only pull up to 2721kg.
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