The Jeep Gladiator drummed up a ton of interest around its release in 2019, but the off-road truck hasn’t been able to sustain that excitement. Sales have fallen dramatically over the last year, leading parent company Stellantis to resort to layoffs at the Gladiator factory.
Stellantis said it would cut one of the Toledo South Assembly Plant’s shifts. The move would impact around 1,100 employees at the Ohio factory and should help Jeep and Stellantis get a handle on inventory levels. Jeep is expected to debut a plug-in hybrid Gladiator 4xe variant sometime in 2025, and local union officials believe it could give the truck a much-needed shot in the arm.
Jeep updated the Gladiator in 2024, giving it many of the long-awaited features the 2024 Wrangler received, including a larger 12.3-inch Uconnect 5 infotainment display, upgraded interior microphones for better wireless phone calls, and more. The truck also got a significant price drop, starting at under $40,000 for the new model year.
The Gladiator’s updates may have helped it stay relevant, but its competition is newer and more agreeable to drive on-road. The Ford Ranger is all-new for 2024, as well as the Toyota Tacoma. Both are available in beefier off-road variants. The GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado are also quite capable off-road, and they’re infinitely more comfortable to drive and live with on a daily basis.
[Images: Jeep/Stellantis]
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Source: The Truth About Cars
