JEEP’S new Gladiator pick-up lands in Australian dealers midyear, but to give us a taste of what is to come Jeep shipped a handful of the muscular trucks to New Zealand’s South Island to see how they drive. While we did get a quick blast in a Gladiator Rubicon in the Nevada desert last month, it was great to spend a few more days with this much-anticipated model in extremely different terrain.
While the day in the desert was dry and sandy, the area around Queenstown copped a dumping of rain around the time of our arrival and many areas were flooded and the planned drive route were flown in a few days before us couldn’t even get to the remote campsite Jeep had established. Wild, flowing rivers prevented vehicular access and the campsite would have been a soggy mess. Lucky for us, the rain slowed on our arrival and we enjoyed a fantastic drive through the scenic countryside.
The vehicles on offer were American-spec Gladiator Rubicon models, so they were equipped with Jeep’s full arsenal of off-road weaponry. This includes Dana 44 live axles (front and rear) fitted with extra-low 4.1:1 gears and locking centres, plus 4.1s in the transfer case for extra-low crawling ratios; a disconnecting front swaybar; and 33-inch off-road tyres and suspension. Some of the vehicles were fitted with extra Mopar accessories including 35-inch tyres, taller springs and Fox shocks … one rig even had tube doors.
Like Jeep Australia did with the JL Jeep Wrangler, we will get an ‘international-spec’ JT Gladiator, which means the transfer case will offer 2WD, full-time 4x4, and 4x4 locked high and low range. Smaller 255/75 R17 tyres are likely to replace the 33s and, much to the dismay of off-road enthusiasts, those 35s will not be offered as a factory option.
This story is from the February 2020 edition of 4x4 Magazine Australia.
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This story is from the February 2020 edition of 4x4 Magazine Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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