Friday Fantasy: The 2005 Jeep Gladiator Concept Was Entertaining

(Jeep)

The Jeep Gladiator has been redesigned for 2024, but remains very much the same truck that debuted in 2020.

The biggest changes are a new grille shared with the 2024 Wrangler and the addition of side curtain airbags, power-adjustable front seats and a larger touchscreen for its updated infotainment system.

It’s still only available as a four-door with a five-foot bed, but Jeep had different ideas nearly two decades ago.

A Gladiator concept that was unveiled at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show featured a smaller cab than the current truck that was equipped with suicide-style rear half-doors.

THE 2024 JEEP WRANGLER GETS A LIFT FROM NEW AMERICAN EXPEDITION VEHICLES KITS

(Jeep)

The five-foot eight-inch bed could also be extended by a foot into the cabin through a drop-down midgate, similar to the Chevrolet Avalanche’s.

(Jeep)

A small access hatch on the driver’s side rear door allowed for loading cargo without having to open both of the clamshell doors, and a storage drawer was installed below its fender-mounted spare.

(Jeep)

One more thing the Gladiator concept had that the 2024 truck doesn’t is a diesel engine. The Gladiator used to have one, but Jeep discontinued it with the 2023 model year truck and offered a limited edition Rubicon FarOut trim as a send-off.

(Jeep)

Unlike the production Gladiator’s 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6, which is rated at 260 hp and 442 lb-ft, the concept had a 2.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that sent 163 hp and 295 lb-ft to the wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

(Jeep)

And while the Gladiator concept never quite came to fruition as presented, Jeep in 2011 launched a Mopar kit that could be used to convert a four-door Wrangler Unlimited into a two-door “JK-8” pickup.

(Jeep)

That’s not to say Jeep has completely given up on the idea of a smaller pickup. It brought a Scrambler 392 pickup concept to this year’s Easter Jeep Safari that’s based on the four-door Wrangler Rubicon 392.

REVIEW: THE 2024 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON 392 IS AN OFF-ROAD MUSCLE CAR:

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