The Jeep Gladiator was introduced to satisfy the demand for a Wrangler-like pickup, so it should come as little surprise that the refreshed 2024 Gladiator has the same refreshments as the 2024 Wrangler that debuted earlier this year. In the long run, the majority of the vehicle is unchanged, but there are some very impactful improvements made to the new Gladiator – just as is the case with the new Wrangler.
“The new 2024 Jeep Gladiator epitomizes the power of the Jeep community and how it continues to push for greater capability, advanced technology and more refinement,” said Jim Morrison, senior vice president and head of Jeep brand North America. “The new Gladiator makes the best even better, with a more advanced and comfortable interior with a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen and available power seats tested for water fording, more safety and technology, including standard side-curtain airbags, and a fresh exterior with a new seven-slot grille, seven new wheel designs and a windshield-integrated trail-ready antenna. Combine all of that with its folding windshield, three roof choices, two different door options or taking the doors off altogether, and Gladiator is the only truck in the business that can celebrate this kind of open-air freedom and still do real truck stuff.”
A New, Familiar Face
The 2024 Jeep Gladiator sports a new grille design that looks a whole lot like the 2023 grille design. This new face is shared with the new Wrangler, but it is a very subtle change on both Trail Rated vehicles.
All of the other major body panels of the Jeep Gladiator have remained unchanged, so from the side or rear, the 2024 model year has the same look as the 2023 model year, but there are some other areas of change. First, the whip-style radio antenna has been removed and integrated into the windshield frame, cleaning up the appearance and removing an item on the vehicle that gathers debris when off-roading. Also, the 2024 Gladiator has seven new wheel designs across the lineup.
When you look at the two side-by-side, you can see the difference, but it is subtle enough that the average driver won’t be able to differentiate between the two model years. Ultimately, this isn’t an exterior refresh that is going to lead to a big boost in sales, as the changes are relatively unnoticeable.
What will attract buyers to the 2024 Jeep Gladiator is the refreshed interior, featuring a massive new infotainment screen. Standard in all 2024 Gladiator models is a 12.3-inch touchscreen that allows quick access to and control of every aspect of the vehicle – from the HVAC system, navigation software, phone interface and sound system to the front and rear cameras and basic vehicle settings. I have driven a thousand miles in a 2024 Wrangler with the new infotainment system and it really is great. The newest UConnect software is quicker than ever, allowing for quick changes between modes while the huge screen makes it easier to have two applications open at once.
For example, while driving the 2024 Wrangler, I have the 12.3-inch screen setup to show me the navigation screen and information on what was playing on Spotify – both working seamlessly through wireless Android Auto. UConnect is easily one of the best infotainment systems in the industry, UConnect 5 is the best iteration yet and this 12.3-inch screen provides a nice, clear view, even when the top panels are off.
Next, like the Wrangler, the 2024 Jeep Gladiator features available 12-way power front seats, complete with electrical systems that are positioned and protected to maintain the truck’s water fording abilities.
Finally, the 2024 Gladiator adds standard first- and second-row side-curtain airbags, standard forward collision warning (Sport S-above) and standard advanced cruise control with stop (Sport S-above), so the team has made this new Jeep pickup safer without compromising capabilities.
In addition to the changes noted above which apply across a variety of 2024 Jeep Gladiator models, there are also two new models for the new model year. This includes the Mojave X and Rubicon X, both of which build on the similar models without the “X”, but along with the added letter in the name comes an integrated front off-road camera, steel bumpers and Nappa leather 12-power adjustable front seats.
In terms of power, the only drivetrain mentioned so far for the 2024 Jeep Gladiator is the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, which offers 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. That engine can be mated to a 6-speed manual transmission or an 8-speed automatic and four-wheel-drive is standard on all models. This engine offers the ability to tow up to 7,700 pounds and haul 1,725 pounds in the bed.
We will look more at the details of the 2024 Jeep Gladiator in the coming weeks, but for now, these are all of the key changes compared to the 2023 model year.
