In Leaked Pics, a Gladiator Enters the Arena

This, apparently, is it. The Jeep Wrangler pickup, which we just learned will resurrect the Gladiator name from the dustbin of Jeep’s past.

Details and very pleasing images of the model, scheduled for an L.A. debut at the end of the month, were apparently posted to Fiat Chrysler’s media site for a brief time, during which the now-renamed JeepGladiatorForum secured screenshots.

The images pull the string on the camo that’s covered the model’s pre-production predecessors for well over a year. Riding on a lengthened frame borrowed from the Wrangler Unlimited, the Gladiator is pretty much as we expected it: a four-door Wrangler with a five-foot bed aft of the cabin.

The pictured showcase two trim levels: top-flight Rubicon and what looks to be a Sahara model, surprising us with its full-length running board. Side steps seemed more likely. As this vehicle carries its own development costs above and beyond the Wrangler JL line, Jeep isn’t likely to offer a base Sport model. The Gladiator is meant to bolster FCA’s bottom line and elevate the Jeep brand to new heights, not offer truck lovers a fun, low-priced truck runabout that excels in off-road conditions. Jeep aficionados, who chomped at the bit for years hoping for a Wrangler pickup, will no doubt turn the Gladiator into a full-scale money-printing machine.

One thing made clear by these photos is that, yes, you’ll be able to own a convertible pickup when the Gladiator goes on sale next year as a 2020 model. A convertible pickup with an available stick, no less. Think about that for a second. Doors and windshield fold or unbolt in the same manner as its non-pickup siblings, too.

As for specs, it’s reported that the pickup will come with a standard 3.6-liter V6 mated to either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic. Optional is a 3.0-liter diesel V6/eight-speed combo. No mention of the Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited’s optional 2.0-liter turbo four. To be clear, that’s the second-generation EcoDiesel engine, the output of which remains a mystery. Electronic stop-start will be a feature of this engine when it becomes available some time after the Gladiator’s launch.

Also on offer are the same 4×4 systems found in other Wranglers, along with third-generation Dana 44 axles, a limited-slip diff, and an electronic sway bar disconnect. Details scrounged from the now-disappeared webpage cites a towing capacity of 7,650 pounds and a payload capacity of up to 1,600 pounds. FCA boasts of “unmatched” crawl ratios and up to 30 inches of water fording capability.

One thing that remains unknown is the model’s starting price. A Wrangler Unlimited Sahara carries a pre-destination MSRP of $38,295, with the Rubicon model going for $41,445. While the new pickup is expected to carry a premium, opinions differ on just how high the thing might start. The mid-40k range seems likely.

[Images: JeepGladiatorForum]