Rare on the road Rubicon thrills a most specific niche
So you want a fun and different double cab with great heritage? Well how about one that was conceived in World War II, is steeped in over eighty years of great tradition and will stand you out like nothing else on the block while also being a lot more fun then you ever expected. Jeep’s powerful open-air Gladiator Rubicon is exactly that. They also call it economical and aerodynamic. For a brick, perhaps. And pull the other one on fuel. It’s a glutton.
But that doesn’t really matter to anyone who drops R1.4 million on SA’s second most expansive double cab. Only the Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster costs more. A lot more. So when you roll up and park besides a Raptor, Top end Amarok and the rest at the country club, you’re still the boss!
Its brick-like proportions aside, there’s no mistaking it’s a Jeep. Tonka Toy brutal and emphasised by knobbly bits hanging off all over the place, slick daytime running LED head and fog lamps punctuate the necessary seven-slot grille to set Gladiator out the most capable Jeep bakkie ever. One of Gladiator Rubicon’s coolest party tricks is that you can strip the hard top roof and doors off and lay the screen down. Pretty labour intensive, that’s best done as a seasonal thing!
Rubicon is Long. Very Long!
It’s long. Very long. A good Smart car’s worth of metal longer than an old Land Rover 90. But it’s cool. Super cool! The bakkie bit incudes a wide, damped power-locking three-position tailgate on the surprisingly low load bay. A welcome durable load bed features tough, strong, durable integrated Trail Rail cargo management tie-downs and under-rail lighting. It’s topped with a special scratch-resistant layer and a roll-up rigid loading cover. The full-size spare wheel sits in a cave under the bed.
Gladiator opens up to a surprisingly plush and luxurious, if quite cramped cabin. That said it’s versatile, intuitive, and comfortable, and certainly different enough. Quality soft-touch materials abound. We enjoyed the matt contrast across the dash panel. It’s a combination of old school cool and purely practical functionality in a fine modern rendition of neat buttons, switches and knobs.
Red cross-stitched black leather-clad contoured seats get adjustable bolster and lumbar support. Ours were even heated, as was the chunky matching multifunction steering wheel. It sits behind over 100-way adaptable 7-inch LED display dials that will display precisely what you want, from tyre pressure to a digital speed readout and more. Steering buttons allow hands on the wheel adjustment of the quick, clear CarPlay and Auto triple USB and C Uconnect touchscreen infotainment.
A Surprisingly Chic Cabin
The rear seats fold to deliver an additional load floor. The LED lit rear bay has storage nets, all the nooks and four durable mesh door pockets. Well safety specced too, Gladiator packs over 80 active and passive and security features include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross path detection, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise, and electronic stability control with electronic roll mitigation.
Finger the waterproof starter button and the lusty old 209 kW 347 Nm 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 turning sings to life. It’s no slouch on the road, mind you. Besides the roar of its chunky BFG boots, the tendency to feel as if its searching for mud and the sound of a gale as the wind does its best to dodge the beast at speed, it’s fairly well planted and surprisingly alive. Sure, steering is slow, it lurches around a bit and a Raptor makes it feel like an ox wagon, but Rubicon is feisty when pushed and accelerates strong to its almost 160 km/h cut-off.
It doesn’t matter if it feels like a fish out of water on the road. Because Gladiator’s Rubicon-rated pedigree comes into play and then some, the further you progress off the beaten track. It’s no secret how Gladiator Rubicon earned its crucial Trail Rated badge. Its legendary Jeep 4×4 capability is unrivalled off on the trail. There’ it’s all about that unstoppable Jeep myth.
All About that Unstoppable Jeep Myth
Gladiator’s auto box is tuned to optimally drive its legendary 4×4 set-up. It can deliver an unstoppable 77.2:1 crawl ratio in low range. Towing and 4×4 performance meanwhile benefits a 4.7:1 first gear ratio coupled with a 4.1:1 final drive. Although not quite ground-breaking, the Jeep bakkie packs in a 693 kg payload and will tug a 2.7 tonne braked trailer when fitted with a Max Towing Package. It also comes with heavy-duty off-road rear and winch-ready steel front bumpers with tow hooks and skid plates.
Getting back to the trail, drive selection between all the many modes is simple and effective via Selec-Speed Control. Gladiator’s Rock-Trac 4×4 system features heavy-duty third-generation Dana 44 axles with Tru-Lok differentials. Electronic sway-bar disconnect improves suspension articulation, while Rock-Trac full-time torque management ensures exceptional grip in low-traction conditions. 43.6 degree approach, 20.3 degree breakover and 26 degree departure angle together with 249 mm ground clearance and 800 mm allow for absolutely go anywhere ability.
Jeep’s most capable bakkie yet?
Jeep says this is its most capable bakkie yet. 787 mm longer than the wagon and riding on a 493 mm longer wheelbase, the, the load bed centre is positioned behind the rear axle of the literally indestructible ladder frame to improve weight distribution for a more composed ride when loaded. Gladiator retains Jeep five-link live axle coil suspension front and rear boasting angle change through the full range of suspension travel. Fox Shocks face forward for consistent damping, best ride comfort and load management.
We were a little taken aback when to learn the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, just a bakkie after all, flirts with a R1.4 million. A bit much, perhaps. We were also initially alarmed by its almighty appetite for petrol. In spite of Jeep’s best efforts to call it ‘economical’. In truth, it’s anything but economical! Which has us wondering why Jeep never brought it as a turbodiesel? It has a very good 195 kW 600 Nm 8.5 l/100 km oil burner in its arsenal, after all.
However, as our time with this immensely capable, and versatile machine rolled on, we increasingly enjoyed it. Warts and all. Sure, it is an acquired taste. It’s also hell expensive, a glutton on fuel and limited by still only being available as a petrol V6 only in a clear turbodiesel world. And then it feels like its searching for mud on a tar road. heavy on fuel. But oh boy, find that mud and you’ll never be so happy with your Jeep.
One hell of a character, the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon remains rare on the road for very good reason. But if you’re looking for a most unique and very different go-anywhere, carry-anything bakkie that swims in superb style attitude, we’d recommend it at the bat of an eye. – Michele Lupini
Images & Testing: Giordano Lupini
ROAD TESTED: Jeep Gladiator Rubicon
Engine: 209 kW 347 Nm 3.6-litre petrol V6
Drive: 8-speed Automatic 4x4
Payload: 700 kg
Braked trailer: 2,700 kg
TESTED:
0-60 km/h: 4.12 sec
0-100 km/h: 8.65 sec
0-120 km/h: 12.14 sec
400m: 15.9 sec @ 138 km/h
80-120 km/h: 6.19 sec
CLAIMED:
VMax: 155 km/h
Fuel: 12.4 l/100 km
CO2: 288 g/km
Warranty/Service: 5y 100K/3y 100K km
LIST PRICE: R1.399M
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