Jeep Gladiator pickup will be a premium player

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For the 2020 Gladiator, Jeep is following the same pricing mantra as it does for the Wrangler: Versatility comes with a cost.

The Gladiator pickup's base Sport model with the optional automatic transmission will start at $37,040, including shipping, putting it well above competing nameplates such as the Chevrolet Colorado and segment-leading Toyota Tacoma, which begin in the low to mid-$20,000s. With the manual transmission, the Sport is $2,000 less.

The top-of-the-line Rubicon trim starts at $47,040 with the eight-speed automatic transmission. Jeep says the priciest Gladiators, fully loaded, will top $60,000.

Consumers who can't wait for a feature-laden Rubicon can preorder the limited-run Launch Edition online on April 4 — the so-called 4x4 Day. Orders for the general lineup will begin afterward, Jeep said.

The Gladiator, which comes with a fortified rear suspension system and longer wheelbase that set it apart from the Wrangler, also distinguishes itself from competing brands with its removable roof and doors.

Jeep is betting that shoppers seeking the off-road capability that has defined the brand won't be put off by the starting prices, which match up a little more closely with the off-road models of the Gladiator's competitors, such as the Colorado Z71 and ZR2 and the Tacoma's TRD Sport and Pro models.

The brand is also hoping the Gladiator serves as a retention tool for Wrangler owners who have been known to leave the brand to buy pickups. Scott Tallon, director of Jeep, says the brand is looking to draw from both midsize and full-size pickup shoppers looking for added versatility.

"The modifications you'd have to make on midsize trucks today to achieve what we've achieved capability-wise, you'd have to spend thousands of dollars to come anywhere close," Tallon told Automotive News during a media event here.

"You can easily price yourself out of that market," Tallon acknowledged. "It's something we will monitor closely, but I think we are well-positioned."

Karl Brauer, executive analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said that if the Gladiator reaches 10,000 units a month in the U.S., it would be running about half of Tacoma sales, which jumped last year thanks to added capacity at Toyota's Mexico truck plant. Brauer thinks that would be "enough to stake out a large chunk of segment share while delivering a tidy profit" to Fiat Chrysler.

Given the segment's average transaction price of $33,000, "the Gladiator is definitely priced above the pack," Brauer said in an email. "This will immediately filter out a big chunk of buyers, though that's likely part of Jeep's plan."

The Wrangler, he noted, has always appealed to serious off-roaders, and the Gladiator will springboard off that image with an open bed. "Add in the Gladiator's robust capabilities, and it's clearly being positioned as a premium midsize truck," he said.

To play in the pickup market, the Gladiator had to prove that it's more than a flatbed Wrangler. The engineering team had to strike a balance to achieve the comfortable ride expected from today's pickups and a class-leading towing capacity of 7,650 pounds, said chief engineer Peter Milosavlevski.

Milosavlevski said the team consulted with their counterparts at Ram whenever they had truck questions. Milosavlevski himself used to be on the Ram side.

To increase the total weight that the vehicle can tow or haul, Milosavlevski told Automotive News, "you get into the changes with the frame. You have safety requirements, driving dynamics requirements. That was all a challenge."

The team even had to adjust the signature seven-slot grille, opening it up to get more airflow into the cooling system, he said, and added an 800-watt fan to cool the Pentastar V-6 engine more efficiently.

Production begins in April, and deliveries begin in May. To market the truck, Tallon said Jeep would leverage experiential opportunities such as events for the World Surf League.

In the meantime, the 4x4 Day orders for the Launch Edition, which will be priced at $62,310, could generate some excitement. The limited run is 4,190 units, a tribute to Jeep's hometown area code in Toledo, Ohio, 419. The Launch Edition will come with unique wheels and interior accents, as well as a "One of 4,190" aluminum tailgate badge.

Eric Nielsen, a dealer who has two Jeep stores in northern New Jersey, was expecting the Gladiator to start in the lower $40,000s, so he was "pleasantly surprised" by the pricing.

"I think it's aggressive pricing and shows they want to compete in that segment and not just be a specialty car," Nielsen said.

"It's going to be competition," he added, but "at the end of the day, it still says 'Jeep' on it."