LOS ANGELES — For the first time in quite a while, FCA’s Jeep brand will build and sell a pickup truck in the United States. It’s called the 2020 Jeep Gladiator and it was introduced at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show last Wednesday.
Autotrader called the Gladiator “awesome” and CNET said that it “ruled the LA Auto Show.”
From the front, it looks like any other Jeep. However, under the hood it comes with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine or a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6. It sits on 33-inch, off-road tires and it features LED headlamps. The 2020 Jeep Gladiator is available in these different trim configurations: Sport, Sport S, Overland and Rubicon.
When looking at the rear, you’ll notice the five-foot steel bed. It features covered external power source and strong integrated tie-downs, providing versatility for flexible cargo options. Jeep says it will offer “Best-in-class towing and 4×4 payload” with up to 7,650 pounds of towing capacity and up to 1,600 pounds of payload capacity.
“It’s 100 percent Jeep, 100 percent truck,” said Trevor Dorchies, Jeep product communications manager. “We have open-air capability when the top is off. There’s two hardtops and a soft top. The windshield folds down. It features aluminum paneling on the hood. The truck bed itself is made of steel and the tailgate is made of aluminum. The fender flares are two inches higher than on our Overland and Sport trims. There is class-leading legroom. The seats are comfortable so your back won’t ache after a long car ride.”
On the inside, there is a 7.0- or an available 8.4-inch touchscreen that houses the fourth-generation Uconnect system. Other interior features include two USB ports and a USB-C port along with a 115-volt AC outlet for three-pronged electronics. There’s also a front-facing off-road camera to see obstructions ahead.
This isn’t the first Jeep pickup truck by any imagination. The Detroit-based automaker made Comanche pickup trucks beginning in 1947 and ending in 1992. Now, the dream is alive again with the all-new Gladiator.
The 2020 Jeep Gladiator will be manufactured at the Toledo, Ohio plant where the Wrangler is being made. As a matter of fact, FCA spent $1 billion to retool the plant for the pickup truck. Over 2,000 new jobs were created to support the production of the Gladiator.
Look for the Gladiator to arrive in U.S. showrooms around the second half of 2019. Pricing has not yet been announced. More details in the coming months.
For more information about the 2020 Jeep Gladiator, visit https://www.jeep.com/gladiator.html
