Mopar reports that the Jeep Gladiator is the new leader of accessories from FCA.
For many years now, the Jeep Wrangler has been the darling child of Mopar. Every Wrangler that left the lot would come with at least some form of customization, whether it be tubular doors, a new tire rack, or a winch on the front bumper.
However, the torch has finally been passed to a new Jeep: the Gladiator. Ever since releasing earlier this year, the Gladiator has proven to be an even greater success story for Mopar, averaging $200 more accessories sold per pickup truck.
The story comes from an Automotive News report. Mopar head of parts and accessories Kim Mathers told the publication that Gladiator owners spend an average of $1,000 on accessories for their new pickup, while Wranglers spend just $800 on accessories for their new utility vehicle.
Gladiator buyers tend to focus on additional functionality for their ride, including tons of off-road parts and accessories like lift kits and rock rails. Lifestyle accessories are also popular choices, such as bike and surfboard racks, tubular steel doors, and LED lights.
Fiat Chrysler had always planned for the Gladiator to accessorize and ensured that Mopar had 90% of its parts listing available at launch. "The planning for the Gladiator launch has been a long time in the works. Before the vehicles even start to hit dealers, we ship them our key marquee parts,” Mathers said.
"We had always expected Gladiator to do well from an accessories dollars-per-unit perspective because it really can draw upon the Jeep world, which is big from an accessories perspective, but also the truck world, so it's being able to build upon both. We expected it to be the highest dollar-per-unit, and we're getting there quickly because of some of the planning exercises that we've done to make dealers ready."
Not only are Gladiators leaving lots fully accessorized, but they're also leaving lots in high numbers. Over 7,200 Gladiators were sold by the 2nd quarter, capturing 7.7% of the overall mid-size pickup market.
Mathers said that FCA will pay attention to both Gladiator sales as well as feedback from events like the Easter Jeep Safari when determining what accessories to expand into next.