2024 Jeep Gladiator | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry
Hot on the heels of the 2024 Jeep Wrangler’s round of cosmetic and equipment updates, we have the new 2024 Jeep Gladiator arriving at camp. The pickup truck sports a lot of the same tasty upgrades as its SUV brother, with a few key omissions and a sad discontinuation from the prior model year. It’s a definite boost for the Gladiator, and it’s the first refresh we’ve seen for the mid-size convertible pickup since its introduction for the 2020 model year.
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Still Looks Like a Wrangler Pickup
From a styling standpoint, the new Gladiator now wears the face of the latest Wrangler, a very mild evolution of the seven-slot grille and round headlights that have been an iconic part of the Wrangler family for years now. It’s an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” kind of situation, but this is just a mild update to the Gladiator, so no huge changes were expected — and none were delivered. But that’s perfectly okay, as the Gladiator’s style is still uniquely its own, with a flat-front face that allows for its class-leading approach angle and plastic fenders that draw its family heritage to the Wrangler without question. The Gladiator was a Wrangler pickup and is still a Wrangler pickup, and it retains the class-exclusive unique ability to take its top and doors completely off (at least until Ford gets smart and makes a Bronco pickup).
Inside, the bigger screen and the latest Uconnect system are also very welcome updates, fully bringing the Gladiator up to date with Jeep’s state-of-the-art media tech. The Uconnect 5 system remains one of the best multimedia systems in the industry, and despite the occasional delay or hiccup when switching screens or using some of its functions, it’s still one of our favorites. The rest of the Gladiator’s interior is still the rough-and-tumble, functional, slightly militaristic environment it has always been, which is also one of its strengths. Is it comfortable? Quiet? Spacious? Nope, but it’s indisputably cool.
What’s Missing?
Three things are missing from the 2024 Gladiator. One is the new full-float axle from the Wrangler Rubicon that was introduced for the 2024 model year, but I suspect this omission might have something to do with the fact that the Gladiator’s rear suspension actually shares more in common with the Ram 1500 pickup’s than the Jeep Wrangler’s. Maybe it’s a mounting issue, maybe it’s a towing capacity issue, but the Gladiator will continue with the same rear axle it had last year.
The other two omissions are more of a disappointment: the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine is gone, which is truly a shame as it was a fantastic engine. Even though it was torque-y, powerful and surprisingly efficient, it’s fallen victim to emissions regulations, consumer demand and expense. But also missing is a 4xe plug-in hybrid version, which we thought might make its debut for the 2024 model year. Alas, no. Jeep has said that it plans on having an electrified version of everything in the lineup by 2025, so perhaps we’ll see one next year. But with the diesel gone, the 4xe needs to make an appearance for people wanting superior fuel economy and maximum torque for towing. Fingers crossed it comes along soon.
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