Jeep has revealed the Gladiator, its new heavy duty pick-up truck based on the Wrangler, at the Los Angeles motor show.
The new machine, the first pick-up Jeep has produced since the Comanche went off sale in 1992, is designed to cash in on the hugely lucrative and growing North American pick-up market. It will go on sale there next year, although it is not known if there are any plans for it to come to Europe yet.
The Gladiator has been designed to marry the Jeep Wrangler’s off-road ability with the practicality of a pick-up, with Jeep boss Tim Kuniskis saying that it combines “combined rugged utility, versatility and functionality”, and was developed due to “tremendous demand” from customers.
The pick-up features the same body-on-frame chassis design as the Wrangler, and takes heavy styling cues from the off-roader. That includes the familiar headlight and front grille design, although it features extra ventilation to help cool the engine when it is being used for towing.
The Gladiator is 787mm longer than the four-door Wrangler and, in Crew Cab configuration, features a 1524mm load bay. Jeep says the Gladiator can carry loads of up to 725kg, and has 4370kg of towing capacity.
