January 10, 2005

Diesel-powered Jeep Gladiator pickup is a "lifestyle pickup"

Detroit, Michigan - Jeep showcased a new pickup based on the TJ that's designed for people with active outdoor lifestyles. The Gladiator features an open-air canvas roof, removable doors and fold-down windshield and an expandable pickup-truck bed and clever storage compartments.

Click image to enlarge More Photos

"This vehicle blends classic cues with contemporary functionality and innovation," said Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President - Chrysler Group Design. "The timeless silhouette - even the bedside-mounted spare of classic Jeep pickups - is merged with a modern chassis, a turbo diesel powertrain and a flexible, expandable truck bed."

Jeep previously used the name Gladiator on its 1962 full-size pickup truck model.

The new Gladiator concept features a 6-speed manual transmission, Command Trac part-time 4x4 system, front and rear locking differentials, a front winch and full skid plates. It's powered by a 2.8-litre, 4-cylinder common-rail turbo diesel engine that provides 295 lb-ft of torque and 163 horsepower.

The front and rear suspension are multi-link designs with coil-over shocks and plenty of suspension travel for off-roading. The Gladiator pickup offers a 680-kilogram (1,500-pound) payload. Key off-roading specifications include a ground clearance of 348 mm (13.7 inches), break-over angle of 23.2 degrees and an approach/departure angle of 47.6 /38.0 degrees, respectively. Tires in the front and rear are 34 inches in diameter (265/75R18) mounted on 18x8 inch wheels.

Inside, the seats are weatherproof and the interior is designed to be hosed-out. There is a driver-side cabin-storage access panel as well as a lockable storage panel in front of the rear wheel. The 4-foot (1.2 metres) wide bed space is expandable with storage that can extend inside the cabin when more length is needed. The bed can be transformed easily from its standard length of 1,725 millimetres (5 foot, 8 inches) to 2,026 mm (6 foot, 8 inches) with the midgate expanded, and ultimately to 2,723 mm (8 foot, 11 inches) with the midgate expanded and tailgate down.

The Jeep Gladiator features GPS, a navigation system and a communications system.

More News from the 2005 Detroit Auto Show ....