The Jeep Wrangler is one of the most capable vehicles on the planet with fans taking it off-road on a regular basis, unlike most SUVs that make due with runs to the shop or soccer practice. While the Wrangler’s legendary off-roading capability has made it the go-anywhere vehicle, it has always lacked the practicality of other SUVs when it comes to carrying capacity. Jeep rectifies the situation with its all-new Gladiator, a Wrangler-based truck introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Although the Gladiator looks like a Wrangler with a truck bed attached to its rear, the Gladiator is 31-inches longer than its brethren. The addition of the 5-foot steel bed and longer wheelbase gives it a massive footprint, but still offers impressive off-road capabilities with upto 11.1-inches of ground clearance and a 30-inch fording ability. The truck portion of its capabilities also includes a 1,600 payload and towing capacity of 7,650 lbs.
Powering this impressive vehicle is a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine that produces 285-hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, mated to either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic. The Gladiator will also be offered with a diesel engine down the line as well.
Scheduled to arrive at showrooms during the second quarter of 2019, exact pricing should be available closer to its official launch date.