The Jeep Gladiator benefits from tons and tons of aftermarket upgrades in the United States of America. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the European Continent is a bit lacking in this regard because the mid-size pickup with a Wrangler fascia hasn’t arrived at dealerships.
Truth be told, the aftermarket in the Old Continent isn’t geared toward American brands. That hasn’t stopped a German tuner from imagining the Gladiator with beefy upgrades, though, starting with the mud-terrain rubber shoes.
Thanks to high-clearance fenders, a suspension lift with remote-reservoir shock absorbers, Grid Off-Road wheels, and the aforementioned tires, the Prior Design 2021 Jeep Gladiator looks way more imposing than stock. Spacers on every corner, dual steps on both sides, a powder-coated sports bar, a bull bar, and two full-size spare wheels in the bed are also featured.
Upon closer inspection, you will also notice a winch located just under the front bumper. Two auxiliary lights on the front bumper, two on the front roof, and two more on the sports bar add to the road presence of this gentle giant. The finishing touch comes in the guise of a cool-looking domed hood with heat extractors on both sides of the power bulge. Speaking of power, I wouldn’t expect a supercharger in the engine bay if I were you.
Jeep offers the Euro-spec Gladiator exclusively with the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6, which is officially rated at 260 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque (264 PS and 600 Nm). By comparison, the Middle East also gets the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that comes standard back home in the U.S. of A.
As opposed to the Rubicon pictured by Prior Design in the following video, the Gladiator for the Old Continent is offered in Sport, Overland, and Launch Edition flavors. Reading between the lines, not even Jeep expects the mid-size pickup to be a commercial success in this part of the world.
Despite a year of lockdowns over the health crisis, the Gladiator sells pretty well in the United States. According to Fiat Chrysler, no less than 77,542 units were moved in 2020. The ever-popular Tacoma remains the segment-leading truck, however, with 238,806 units to its name.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News