After a successful stint during WWII, Willys-Overland saw an opportunity to market their Jeeps to civilians. Eventually, that company became known as Jeep in itself, and pretty soon, they started to expand to other segments beyond the rugged, military jeep with practically no features. As well as the regular version, Jeep also manufactured a pickup truck using the same architecture.

They tried that idea again in the late '80s and early '90s with the Comanche, a two-door compact pickup that used the off-road enthusiasts' favorite, the XJ Cherokee's platform. Ultimately, that car wasn't all that successful. Ever since the Wrangler's explosion in popularity and the resurgence of mid-size pickup trucks, fans have been clamoring for a new Jeep truck. That vehicle arrived back in 2020 in the form of the Gladiator, Jeep's first pickup truck in over almost 30 years.

2022 Gladiator Overview

The Jeep Gladiator is a mid-size pickup truck, equivalent in size and market placement to the original Comanche, except that it now gets four doors as standard. Rather than using the Cherokee or even the Grand Cherokee's platform, this time, the Gladiator uses the current Wrangler as a starting point. It doesn't really try to conceal that very much, and that's intentional. Everything about the design is pretty much Wrangler, with the obvious exception being the pickup bed in the back. Various companies have offered pickup conversions for Wranglers, but now, you can get one directly from Jeep.

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The Gladiator shares one of its powertrains with the Wrangler, as well as a good chunk of the body panels, the mechanicals, some trim levels, and the interior. Jeep also offers the same lineup of roof configurations as the Wrangler, which made the Gladiator the first convertible pickup truck since the Dodge Dakota Convertible of the 1980s. Like the Wrangler, you can also remove the doors entirely, or install half-doors with no windows for some off-road adventures. The range kicks off with the Sport trim level, and from there, you have the Willys Sport, the Sport S, the Altitude, the Willys, the Overland, the Rubicon, the Mojave, and the High Altitude. The Gladiator is also about to face some pretty stiff competition, as Chevy and GMC both recently rolled out brand-new versions of the Colorado and Canyon, respectively, the new Ford Ranger, which we're definitely looking forward to, is about to hit dealerships, and Toyota will soon be coming out with a brand-new Tacoma, which is also worth waiting for.

2022 Gladiator Powertrains And Drivetrains

Jeep offers two powertrains on the Gladiator, and it shares one of those with the Wrangler. That being the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, developing 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. Rather than a four-cylinder, however, you can have the Gladiator with a diesel engine as well. The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 puts out 260 hp and a pretty meaty 442 lb-ft of torque, a class-leading figure. Obviously, the Gladiator is exclusively available with 4WD, but you can still have the Pentastar V6 with a manual transmission. The other transmission option is an eight-speed automatic, and it's the only transmission available for the diesel engine.

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The Gladiator also has a best-in-class maximum towing capacity. With the appropriate options, the Gladiator can tow up to 7,650 lbs. However, the competition is about to dethrone it for payload. For now, the Gladiator's 1,710 lb payload capacity is still class-leading, but the new Ford Ranger can do up to 1,905 lbs. Unfortunately, Jeep doesn't offer the 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain on the Gladiator, but that's not really a big deal, as none of its rivals offer hybrid powertrains at the moment either.

2022 Gladiator Comfort And Quality

The interior of the Gladiator is essentially identical to that of the Wrangler. While it does feature a whole host of mod cons, especially on the higher trim levels, it's all ruggedized and it's very clear that Jeep engineered the interior to take a beating and some weather while off-roading, not to be luxurious and opulent, and that's not a bad thing. It all has a very old school feel, which works in its favor. The analog gauges, the physical controls for basically everything, it all works with this type of vehicle.

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Like the Wrangler, the Gladiator is also available with a whole bunch of accessories, including the waterproof Bluetooth speaker that lives behind the rear seats, and the welded tube doors to stand in for the regular doors when you're off-roading. The Gladiator also adds pickup-centric accessories, like a variety of tonneau covers, as well as various towing accessories. You also get the same lineup of roof configurations, including a power soft-top, and a hardtop as well. In terms of safety, the Gladiator has you covered with items such as adaptive cruise control, full-speed forward collision warning, adaptive high beams, and blind spot monitoring. Unfortunately, depending on the trim, these components are all parts of pricey option packages. The Gladiator can seat five passengers, and it's only available with a 5-foot bed, which has a cargo volume of 33.5 cubic feet.

2022 Gladiator Pricing And Launch

The 2022 Gladiator is available to order as of September 2022. Prices start at $37,565 for the basic Sport trim level, and the most expensive one, the High Altitude comes in at a hefty $54,080. The gasoline V6 is the standard powertrain, whereas the EcoDiesel is a $4,010 upgrade on the trim levels that it's available in. If you want your mid-size pickup truck to be very capable off the pavement, adventurous, but also to be able to do pickup things quite well, the Gladiator is a great bet.