Enter the Gladiator: Jeep is back in the Ute game

Monday, 15 April 2019

At the height of the Roman Empire the coliseum was a brutal and bloody battleground where only the toughest warriors survived. Today, Jeep is about to enter a new-age lions' den - the hugely competitive dual-cab ute segment - with its own Gladiator.

The Jeep Gladiator marches into the stadium at a time when dual-cab utes are New Zealand's most popular type of vehicle, with models like the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton fighting at the top of the sales charts.

Due to arrive in local showrooms next year, the Gladiator is the first Jeep-branded pick-up in almost 30 years - the last was the single-cab Comanche.

Not just a Wrangler with a tray, the Gladiator has a longer wheelbase and is more than 750mm longer overall.

The new Gladiator is a little different to most of its key rivals as it brings a unique character to the segment in that it has been designed as a lifestyle adventure vehicle first and foremost rather than a dressed-up work truck.

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The Gladiator shares the Wrangler's far more modern interior, and actually has decent room for rear passengers.

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As such, it will only be offered with a dual-cab body style and a model range that focuses on families and thrill seekers rather than fleets and tradies.

Roof off motoring? The Gladiator is the only vehicle to offer that in the ute segment.

Uniquely the Gladiator will retain the Wrangler's open-air capabilities with the option of a folding soft-top or removable hard top, while the doors can also be removed and the windscreen folded flat when off the beaten path.

While that will be appealing to many, its safety credentials as a family SUV alternative are a little compromised because of the roof configuration with only airbag protection for front seat occupants. To counter that, the Gladiator can be equipped with a host of advanced crash avoidance technologies such as automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitors, lane departure warning and a reverse camera.

The Gladiator name has appeared on a Jeep pick up previously, it was based on the Wagoneer and was produced from 1962 to 1971.

Jeep has yet to confirm what exactly from that list will be fitted as standard across the range, but if the Wrangler, which scored an extremely poor one-star NCAP rating, is any indication then the Sport S could miss out on the advanced features but will likely be standard on the Overland and Rubicon.

Ignoring that (if you can), the Gladiator is better suited to family life than almost any other dual-cab ute.

While the Gladiator will eventually come with diesel engine, it is just a petrol V6 for now.

The cabin is essentially the same size as the five-door Wrangler, which means it looks good in the front with colourful inserts in the retro-inspired dash, has decent small-item storage and excellent vision with a commanding view of the road ahead. The front seats, however, are a bit flat and the cushion lacks under-thigh support which can make long journeys a bit tiring.

But what the Gladiator does better than others is it doesn't treat back-seat passengers like second-class citizens with enough space in the rear for three adults with generous legroom and plenty of headroom.

The Gladiator will be available in the same models as the Wrangler; Sport S, Overland and the tough Rubicon.

While it looks and feels like a Wrangler from inside, Jeep has done more than just attach a tray to the wagon's rump.

The Gladiator is, in fact, built on its own frame that is both longer and stronger. The Gladiator is 762mm longer than the Wrangler five-door in overall length and has an additional 462mm between the axles.

In its most extreme configuration, the Rubicon - with its taller 32-inch off road tyres and shallower front and rear bumpers - has an approach angle of 43.4 degrees, a departure angle of 26 degrees and break over angle of 20.3 degrees with 283mm of ground clearance and a maximum wading depth of 760mm.

Like the Wrangler, the front suspension is still a live axle set-up (the Rubicon adding heavy-duty Fox Shocks, an electronic disconnecting sway bar) while the five-link rear suspension also retains a live axle but has been further strengthened to give the Gladiator a 750kg payload and it can pull a maximum of 3470kg, close to the best in class.

Jeep will offer a choice of two engines across the range, a 3.6-litre petrol V6 that produces 209kW of power and 353Nm of torque and a 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6 that generates fractionally less power at 190kW but significantly more torque, with 660Nm available much lower in the rev range.

Both are hooked up to eight-speed automatic gearboxes with a low-range transfer case and part-time four-wheel drive transmissions.

So what does all that mean in terms of how it drives? Well, the Gladiator's greater focus on urban conditions means it is much more comfortable - and enjoyable - to drive than most of its trade-based rivals, to the point where it masks that fact that is longer - and heavier - to feel more like a modern SUV on the road.

Okay, so it's not quite as car-like as a monocoque-built soft roader as the steering is still a little vague off centre, the live axles can skip over mid-corner bumps and the rear-end squirms under heavy acceleration in wet conditions. But, out on the open road, it never feels like a hulking truck with good compliance in the suspension and sure-footed and predictable handling in the bends.

We only had the chance to drive vehicles powered by the 3.6-litre petrol V6 during the Gladiator's international launch outside of Sacramento in California last week, where the engine proved to be adequate across a wide variety of conditions. In stop-start traffic, it needs to work hard to muscle the Gladiator's 2200kg mass away from a standstill, feeling a little strained and sounding fairly raucous. But, once on the move, it cruises effortlessly and quietly.

The Gladiator is just as capable as the Wrangler off the seal, and therefore probably better than most of its dual-cab rivals - especially the Rubicon with its disconnecting front sway bars, All-Terrain tyres and front and rear diff locks. It feels like it will go absolutely anywhere.

And that will be a big part of the Gladiator's appeal, particularly for families that like to explore the great outdoors. But there is so much to the Gladiator than just it off-road prowess as it is more comfortable on-road than most of its competitors, more spacious in the back, there are more ways to customise it for individual pursuits and, uniquely, it is the only convertible in its class.

In that regard, the Gladiator is totally unique and a very cool machine. It's just a shame it won't be all that affordable, and that we have to wait at least a year for it to march into battle.