2017 Jeep Gladiator – full-size pickup truck!
The Jeep Gladiator (or Jeep Pickup) is a full-size pickup truck based on the large SJ (Jeep Wagoneer) platform that was built and sold under numerous marques from 1962 to 1988. The Jeep pickup design was noteworthy for being in production for more than 26 years with only minor mechanical changes. The Gladiator was the basis of the first post-war U.S. Army trucks designed to be civilian vehicles and adapted to military use. Numerous versions of the Jeep pickup were built in other markets, including Mexico by Vehículos Automotores Mexicanos.
~Wikipedia!
Jeep is known for making great off-roading vehicles and it’s basically the off-roading icon, the legend of the industry. When off-roading is mentioned, most people immediately think of Jeep. In some countries, the word Jeep is a synonym for a large off-road capable truck, regardless of whether it’s a vehicle with Jeep’s badge or not. Yes, the image of the company has been that influential over the years. As time changed, however, so did the brand. People mainly wanted tall, luxury vehicles to be used on the road mostly and that spawned categories like the SUV and the crossover. The new 2017 Jeep Gladiator is supposed to change the idea that SUVs are the way forward. The actual concept car was introduced around 11 years ago, in 2005, but that’s where it was left. No talks or details about it being built were released, so it got buried in the history files. Until now that is. 2017 seems to be the year that the Gladiator sees the light of day.
Introduction of Jeep Gladiator
Jeep hasn’t made a pickup truck in over 30 years. Many fans desiring a truck have left the brand for that fact alone and continued with a manufacturer who makes this type of vehicles. Although there aren’t that many people, who would have gone for a Jeep pickup truck even if it existed. This might not affect Jeep’s economy that much in the short term, but it all adds up in the long run. What are a thousand or two thousand people a year (as an example) who would have purchased a Jeep pickup truck, have now turned into around 30-60 thousand over the span of 30 years. And that’s a lot of people, a big amount of customers and a big pile of money flowing into another pickup truck manufacturer that’s not Jeep. Jeep obviously realized the potential there, which is why they announced that they will build a pickup truck. There were rumors that it will get built for so many times, but it never actually happened. We’ll take this one with a bit of a reserve but here’s someone hoping it’s true.
Exterior Design – How will 2017 Jeep Gladiator look?
The 2017 Jeep Gladiator (although it will probably be called the Wrangled Pickup) is Jeep’s saving grace in the pickup department. It will keep its robust and tough design (of the Wrangler effectively), but should be loaded with the latest features. That’s the entire premise of a Jeep pickup. Tough and mean on the outside, with plenty of creature comforts on the inside. The front side will maintain the Wrangler like appearance, but if you think that it won’t differ from it at all looking at the front, you’re completely wrong. The bumper is completely different; it carries a new design that brings integrated projector lights. They’re really in handy once you’re off-roading, but may be a bit of an overkill for normal road use (unless you encounter a blizzard or a storm).
The back is where the magic happens with the Gladiator (or whatever they decide to name it). The usual roof, doors, and tailgates you expect to find in a normal Jeep are gone. They’ve been chopped off, and in their place, you now find a bed. Access will be via two smaller doors at the back which will act as an entrance to the back seat area. The spare wheel is positioned in the coolest place possible: the side of the car. If you don’t think that’s the coolest looking thing ever we advise you stop reading right here because it will only get much cooler from this point on.
2017 Jeep Gladiator Interior design
The interior will be a rip off (copy) from the Jeep Wrangler. We will be really surprised to find any changes at all. Most brands are known to share interior parts and designs between similar models and in fact the entire lineup in some cases, and with the Wrangler being so close to the Gladiator, it should be a straight carryover. The one area where there will be a difference is the seating department (space). The added bed at the back makes the rear seats a lot less comfortable and only suitable for smaller people and short journeys. Let’s not forget that it is a pickup, however: back seat comfort is not its primary concern.
Did we mention it only gets cooler? Check this out: the bed is actually a modular bed, meaning it can change positions depending on what you want and need out of it. Should you so desire, you can even take out the two seats in the back completely and open up two more extra feet of space. We would honestly just take the rear seats out completely because let’s be real, who will ever use them? You buy an SUV to transfer people, not a pickup. The pickup is for anyone who wants to move stuff, but we do appreciate the consideration from Jeep to include rear seats regardless.
Engine and Transmission
The hood hides an identical engine as the one in the Wrangler. This means a 3.6-liter unit developing 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Although it’s great stats performance wise, it’s appalling fuel economy wise. It would only make sense to add the 2.8-liter VM Motori turbocharged diesel inline 4-cylinder to the lineup as well, but one can only wish. It’s a spectacular unit, however. Capable of producing 160 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque it’s more than adequate to move the Wrangler around while returning great fuel economy at the same time. Power will be transferred to the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic. Should you want off-road capabilities improved even further, there’s an all-wheel-drive system and an 8-speed auto.
Source: netcarshow.com
Price and Release date
The release date is yet to be released (if it does), but we can’t wait. The starting price can be anywhere from $29,000 to $32,000 going all the way up to $50,000 depending on what options you get, but it’s anyone’s guess at this point.
