Make like Burger King and have it your way: the configurator for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator is now live.
Don’t get too excited; while we can spec a Gladiator to our heart’s content, Jeep still hasn’t released pricing details. We’ll bring you those the moment we learn them.
Four trims are on tap: Sport, Sport S, Overland, and Rubicon. At launch every Gladiator sold will have the company’s corporate 3.6L V6 under its macho hood, with the choice of a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic. As expected, Rubicon models get Jeep’s Rock-Trac 4×4 system while the rest are endowed with the 2-speed Command-Trac module.
Interestingly, only the Sport and Sport S are listed as having a max towing capacity of 7650lbs, with the Overland and Rubicon measures unmentioned. This could be due to a slightly reduced capacity thanks to the respective addition of luxury and off-road gear or may simply be an early omission.
Sport models come standard with 3.73 rear-end gears but a Track-Lok rear diff is optional. The trailer towing package adds a Class IV hitch, HD cooling, and a zoom feature to the rear camera. Auxiliary switches can be added for controlling extra gear. A hard top is optional and there are a total of ten colors.
Sport S Gladiator trucks add snazzier wheels and power windows to the mix, along with keyless entry and a better infotainment system. Drivetrain options are the same as the Sport but more optional creature comforts pop up inside such as a Cold Weather Group and Active Safety nannies. The hard top looks slightly less derpy than the soft top.
Fancy-pants Overland models layer on available LED lighting and the company’s superb 8.4-inch Uconnect system. Body-color fender flares are standard which go nicely with the optional color-keyed hardtop. It looks like a G-wagen with a bed. Leather seats are an option at this price, offered in either black or saddle brown.
Top-spec (for now) is the mighty Rubicon. High-clearance fender flares, 33-inch LT tires on a 285 section, electronic sway bar disconnect – it’s all here as standard equipment. The Dana 44 axles are described as ‘wide track’ units and are stuffed with 4.10s out back. Optional packages mirror the Overland but 33-inch mud terrains are on the menu along with a ‘winch-capable’ steel front bumper.
Leather’s an option here too, along with some neato stereo features. Most interesting is Jeep’s take on the traditional trailer brake controller, deploying a rotary dial.
Another feature we can’t wait to try is the so-called Integrated TrailCam which puts a forward facing camera on the Gladiator’s snout which broadcasts what lies ahead onto the infotainment screen, complete with dynamic gridlines to help the driver navigate. The camera even has a washer nozzle to blast away the inevitable trail crud. Remote proximity keyless entry is on the go as well.
That sound you hear is our productivity going out the window for the rest of this day. How would you spec the first truck from Jeep in nearly thirty years?