Jeep Gladiator

Stellantis, which is the parent company of the carmaker Jeep, has made a significant commitment to India with a partnership with Tata, which was followed by the announcement of 12 new products (including Citroen and Jeep). As part of its move to expand its stronghold in India, Jeep has confirmed that it will be launching a pickup truck, and the only pickup truck that they have globally is the Gladiator, which is based on the off-road-capable Wrangler. 

While chances are that it is going to be much more expensive, it will still be considered a rival to the likes of the Toyota Hilux and the upcoming Mahindra Scorpio Lifestyler. But with a big expected price tag, it'll also come with a whole load of capability. Here is everything you need to know about the Jeep Gladiator:

The Gladiator is literally a Wrangler, but with a bed at the back and hence the design similarity runs throughout the vehicle.

Upfront, it will have you questioning the very definition of rugged. The chunky bumper and the very visible wheel arches with the integrated LED DRLs look like they are ready to bash through anything. The seven-slat grille dominates the nose, with circular signature LED headlights flanking the slats. Adding further purpose to the design of the hood clips that have always been a signature of the Wrangler. Depending on the variant it gets that specific badge mark towards the side of the bonnet. 

In profile, while the styling cues (such as the exposed hinges, the boxy silhouette, the massive V arches, and wheels with off-road tires) remain the same as the Wrangler, the bed stretching behind accentuates the length of the car. Jeep has increased the wheelbase to make sure that the rear passengers get enough space while the bed is mounted behind. As standard, it comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, which are available in various finishes depending on the trim.

At the rear, the design is of a typical pickup truck with a flat boot gate that also gets the big Jeep word mark in the middle. The square LED tail lights sit right at the edge, while the bumper, just like the front bumper, is super chunky. The bumper also gets tow hooks and has integrated fog lights. 

Jeep offers the Gladiator in nine colors: Bright White, Black, Firecracker Red, ‘41, Anvil, Reign, Granite Crystal Metallic, Hydro Blue, Mojito.

Inside the Gladiator, the interior is the same as the Wrangler, with a utilitarian approach and a slew of physical buttons and knobs. The dashboard is flat and horizontal, dominated by a touchscreen system in the middle, and the driver continues to get old-school analog dials with a display in the middle. While the theme is black, there are silver accents and stitching all around the cabin, which add a bit of contrast and don't let the interior look dull. 

Jeep continues to offer the option of a hard top or a soft top with the Gladiator.

All the seats are leatherette and the front passengers even get a front central armrest for comfort. The seats are also water-resistant so that the adventure doesn't stop during hardcore water wading. For convenience, the front seats are powered too.

A pickup truck in India is usually seen as a utility tool with not many creature comforts. However the Gladiator offers everything that you'd expect from a modern-day family car. It gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android and Apple CarPlay, which is paired to an Alpine sound system. The driver gets a 7-inch TFT multi-information display. 

The front seats are not only powered but heated as well and you get heating in the steering wheel too. Other creature comforts include dual-zone climate control, push-button start/stop, and an auto-dimming IRVM. 

The Jeep Gladiator covers all the safety equipment with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), traction control, all-wheel disc brakes, and a rearview camera. ADAS features are offered as standard in markets abroad but not all features are available from the base variant, such as the adaptive cruise control. 

Jeep claims that the Gladiator's bed has a storage capacity of over 1,000-litres.

In India, Jeep only offers a 2-liter, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine with the Wrangler, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. However in markets abroad, the Wrangler is powered by a 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine. Of course the drivetrain is a proper four-by-four with low- and high-range gear ratios, along with front and rear differentials. Take a look at its specifications in the table:

Here are its off-road specs:

If Jeep actually brings the Gladiator to India, there'll be no doubt that it'll be the most capable pickup truck that would be on sale, even more so than the Hilux. It combines the capability of the Wrangler and the usability of a pickup truck to give you a unique combination that will serve a very specific niche. But chances are that it will come with a very hefty price tag.