Offroad Warrior

Matt Raudonikisleave the heavy haulage to other pickups, the Jeep JT gladiator rubicon is a lifestyle-specific off roader.

- Matt Raudonikis

Jeeps recent Gladiator pick-up might come in a range of models, but it’s the off-road-ready Rubicon variant that really cements its place as the king of go-anywhere utes. The JT Gladiator stands out from a crowded mid-size pickup market with its unique Jeep styling, live axles front and rear, and a focus on lifestyle over utility use, with the Gladiator Rubicon leaving no questions as to its intentions.

POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE

NO matter what model variant you choose, all JT Gladiators in Australia have the same driveline. That’s the 3.6-litre petrol V6 Pentastar engine backed by the ZF eight-speed auto transmission and a four-wheel-drive system that offers fulltime, part-time 4x4 with high and low range. Jeep tells us that the V6 diesel engine that is about to be offered in the USA won’t fit in a right-hand drive car. Where that leaves us for the rumoured Hemi V8 is yet to be clarified.

Where things get exciting on the Rubicon model is that the transfer case has a super low 4.0:1 gearset for low range which, when combined with the 4.11:1 gears in the final drive, makes for a great low-range crawl ratio. This super-low overall ratio makes for more driver control and torque multiplication when driving off road. Those final drive units are housed in Dana 44 axles and have driver-selectable locking differentials, again for improved driver control when off-road.