Last summer, Jeep launched the plug-in hybrid Wrangler 4xe — which we quickly discovered is the best version of SUV currently on sale. The multiple price hikes since suggest it’s been quite popular with everyone else, too. That success begs the question as to when Jeep will offer the 4xe powertrain — which provides an impressive 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque — on its Wrangler-based pickup, the Gladiator.
Well, if you were hoping to score a Gladiator 4xe next year, you might have to keep waiting.
Citing an FCA Stellantis source, Mopar Insiders claims the Gladiator will indeed receive the Wrangler’s 4xe powertrain —but Jeep will wait until the Gladiator undergoes a mid-cycle refresh, which will come in 2023 for the 2024 model year.
The report does not list any technical hurdles for including the 4xe powertrain in the Gladiator, so the delay may just come down to where Jeep needs to prioritize resources. Jeep sells more than twice as many Wranglers as Gladiators, so naturally, the Wrangler got the 4xe first. And the Grand Cherokee is Jeep’s best-selling car, so it makes sense for Jeep to roll out the 4xe trim for it (coming for 2022 on the all-new model). Jeep also has an important mid-cycle refresh to perform on the Wrangler — now facing formidable competition — for the 2023 model year.
That Mopar Insiders timeline would have a hybrid Gladiator arriving around the same time its prime competitors get one. The global Ford Ranger launched without a hybrid option. But the platform is planned for hybrids. And it’s conceivable the American Ranger could start with one in 2023 as a 2024 model year vehicle. Toyota will also debut the new Tacoma — which should almost definitely have a hybrid powertrain option — around the same time.
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