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2024 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon: Price & Review – The 2024 Jeep Gladiator will likely have the same upgrades as the Wrangler of ’24. Our spy photographer captured the Gladiator truck in Kroger’s parking lot without a single piece of outer clothing. The Interior is a little more conservative, with black vinyl covering the vehicle. But that’s all we need to know about a Wrangler upgrade.
Review
The Jeep Gladiator is a truck that has a lot of appeal. Its off-road capabilities are excellent and it’s cool. If you want a vehicle that can work as hard as it does, look elsewhere.
The Gladiator, which shares many of its fundamentals with the Wrangler, is one the most capable factory-built trail vehicles. The Gladiator’s solid axles, favorable angles, and upgraded hardware, such as tires and suspension, make it even more capable. Rubicon models and Mojave versions have the same advantages but with a few upgrades. It looks great, with a look that is reminiscent of Jeep’s heritage.
Gladiator is not a good truck. The Gladiator’s bed is small, and its maximum payload rating is low. Its towing figures are not great either, but the way it handles when you’re towing makes a bigger difference. Two Gladiators had trouble maintaining control in a towing trial, even on perfectly straight and smooth roads without wind. The Gladiator is a poor driver, even when it’s not loaded. The Gladiator’s lack of refinement is evident in its bouncy ride and uninspiring engines.
The Gladiator is a compromise, whether you are looking to use it for a daily lifestyle vehicle or as a tool. Gladiator’s awesome looks, adventure spirit, removable panels, and customizability make it endearing. There is no truck quite like it.
Gladiator has few active and driver assist features. The Gladiator offers front automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitors, but these features are only standard in higher trim levels.
The 2024 Jeep Gladiator scored four stars in front crashes and three stars for rollovers, out of five possible. IIHS did not give a crash rating for the 2023 Gladiator but their headlight ratings were disappointing. Gladiator standard halogen units received the lowest score of Poor, while optional LED units only managed the second-lowest score Marginal.
Wrangler’s younger brother, the Gladiator, was given a marginal rating by the IIHS in its driver-side small collision test in 2020 after it tipped onto the passenger side. Jeep tried to correct the problem with structural modifications but a Wrangler 2022 tipped again during IIHS testing.
Gladiator has plenty of headroom, even before the roof is removed. The Gladiator also divides legroom better between the two rows than many of its rivals.
The Gladiator is only available in one size of bed. The Gladiator measures approximately 18.0 inches deep and 44.8 inches wide in the wheel wells. It is 56.8 inches wide above the wheel wells. If the mid-opening position of the tailgate doesn’t work, you can use a bed extender to fit longer cargo.
The Gladiator Sport or Sport S can tow up to 7,650 pounds when fitted with the automatic transmission and Max Tow Package. The maximum payload is 1,700 pounds in Sport and Sport S trims with the gasoline-powered V-6, but only with the manual.
The Gladiator offers two sizes of infotainment screens. The base models come with a 7-inch touchscreen that supports Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The higher-end trims come with an 8.4″ screen and navigation. Standard are two USB ports in the front row, with an additional pair available for the second row. Alpine Premium audio systems replace the standard 8-speaker system.
Engine
Jeep’s seven-slat iconic grille is updated to make the Gladiator look modern. The grille looks very similar to, if it’s not exactly identical, the one on the new Wrangler. We can’t tell what is behind the grille. This non-camouflaged Gladiator preproduction does not seem to have a plug-in 4xe hybrid powertrain. We’re wondering when that might be available. The same goes for the V8 392 engine. The Wrangler also has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four. Jeep will likely continue to offer its tried and true 3.6-liter engine in the Wrangler, but it would be great to see other options for the Wrangler make their way into the truck. We don’t think the EcoDiesel will be back until 2024. But we have to wait to confirm.
The question remains as to whether any version of the Gladiator – the model pictured here appears to be a High Altitude High-Spec — will have the same full float axle some Wranglers in 2024 will receive. This design makes sense since it is more durable and offers many advantages, such as a higher tow capacity, more tire and wheel options, and more flexibility when doing trailside repairs.
Interior
As we mentioned earlier, the interior is covered in camouflage. The automatic transmission is visible (we hope that the Gladiator will follow the Wrangler’s lead and keep the manual option), and we see the transfer case with the four-high-and-four-low gearing. We expect the Gladiator to get the same 12.3″ widescreen Jeep Uconnect infotainment system with wireless Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and the latest Jeep Uconnect 5.
This is a refreshing update to a midsize truck that’s popular — and the only one with the wind in your hair experience like a Wrangler. We don’t think we will have to wait long for the reveal, given how near this prototype is to being produced.
Price and Release Date
We still have a long way to go before the Gladiator Electrified is released. Jeep has not given us an estimated release date. However, it is fairly certain it will debut after the new Wrangler. The new 2024 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon is likely to be released in late 2023 or even early 2024.
It’s not unreasonable to assume that prices will increase from Gladiator’s MSRP, which is currently $39,680.