2026 Jeep Gladiator review

The 2026 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon is a bit of an outlier – hard to pin into any traditional category.

While it is an off-road dual-cab 4×4 ute, it’s not necessarily the go-to for those who want a vehicle with the practicality of a five-seater, the cargo capacity of a tub, and something that has four-wheel drive credentials. For a decade, Aussies have turned to the Toyota HiLux,Ford Ranger, and, to a lesser extent, the Isuzu D-Max.

But drive any of those models back-to-back with the Gladiator, and the Jeep comes across as an entirely different species. And not just because it’s a targa-top.

I’ve had a chequered history with the Gladiator. The first one I drove, many years ago, went into limp-home mode about an hour after leaving the city. But another I had was a delight, with fond memories of getting ice cream with the roof off, performing flawlessly over those summer holidays.

Jeep’s taken a knife to the Gladiator lineup in Australia, reducing the updated model to a single variant – the previously range-topping Rubicon – while adding equipment and dropping its price. But that still means the cost of entry into a Gladiator has risen, with the entry-level Night Eagle now axed.

WATCH: Paul’s video review of the 2021 Jeep Gladiator

Despite a revised front-end, you’d be hard-pressed to pick the updated Gladiator out over the previous version. Other minor changes include the aerial being deleted (it’s now embedded in the windscreen), colour-coded fender flares, and new 17-inch alloy wheels.

The biggest change is inside, where – as with the related Wrangler – the 8.4-inch infotainment touchscreen has now been swapped for a bigger 12.3-inch unit, complete with the company’s latest operating system.

Jeep also says improvements have been made under the skin to reduce NVH – industry speak for noise, vibration, and harshness.

Hopes of Australians having access to either the plug-in hybrid or V8 engine in the updated Gladiator have been dashed, with CarExpert recently reporting neither powertrain will be engineered for right-hand drive markets. Then, mere days later, Jeep confirmed it was killing the plug-in hybrid version entirely.

Which leaves us with the 3.6-litre non-turbo V6 petrol engine, referred to as the ‘Pentastar’, and an eight-speed automatic transmission with low-range gearing for those venturing into the bush.

As far as off-road credentials go, the Jeep ticks a lot of boxes. Front and rear locking differentials, sway-bar disconnection, and Dana 44 solid axles at both ends.

But the question remains: if the Gladiator doesn’t fit into the traditional dual-cab 4×4 ute segment, does it make sense through a different lens?

How much does the Jeep Gladiator cost?

The 2026 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon is priced from $82,990 before on-road costs, which is more than $4000 cheaper than it was before, despite having more equipment… and ignoring the $70,000 drive-away promotion announced in mid-2024.

Gone is the entry-level Gladiator Night Eagle, which buyers could previously buy from $78,250 before on-roads. But the same 2024 promotion meant buyers could grab one for just $64,000 drive-away.

All of which means the Gladiator Rubicon is now the same price as a Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana and isn’t far off the popular and well-spec’d Ford Ranger Wildtrak.

To see how the Jeep Gladiator lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

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What is the Jeep Gladiator like on the inside?

Getting into a Jeep Gladiator for the first time is always jarring.

As previously alluded to, the vehicle is unlike anything else on the market (with the exception of the Wrangler, on which it’s based). The ergonomics are strange, the cabin layout is unique, and the execution is a mixed bag.

On a long enough timeline, the Gladiator can trace its roots back to the first mass-produced four-wheel drive vehicle – the US Army GP. The ‘GP’ was eventually nicknamed the ‘jeep’ by soldiers, and the company was born. It seems like the interior still takes its inspiration from that original GP.

But while those in World War II had to endure a dashboard made from pressed steel, it’s thankfully much nicer in a 2026 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, with the addition of a soft-touch trimmed dash and Nappa leather-lined seats.

After the shock of the ergonomics fades away, you soon realise the interior is actually pretty well finished. The quality of the materials is impressive and the switchgear all feels premium, with the whole cabin screwed together to a standard that isn’t talked about enough for a Stellantis product (the parent company of Jeep).

Also surprising is the new Uconnect 5 interface, which is one of the nicest infotainment operating systems I’ve used in recent memory. The wireless Apple CarPlay works well, and matched with the high-definition screen and a little ledge to steady your hand on, it’s frankly a joy to use – except for when the music cuts out while passing under toll gantries.

But put the car in reverse, and you’re met with an image of the number plate lights shining directly into the camera. It also misses out on a wireless smartphone charger. Mixed bag, like I said.

Then there are the gauges. While the Gladiator is now one of the last new cars on sale in Australia priced above $80,000 with analogue gauges – along with its sibling, the Wrangler – I’m glad to see Jeep has finally removed the addition of miles-per-hour from the speedo for the updated model.

With the doors able to be removed (though not legally on public roads in Australia), Jeep puts the electric window buttons on the centre stack. But why you would still need to lower the windows when the doors are off, I’m not sure.

Jeep has also included a bank of auxiliary buttons, which the owner can use to control things like a winch or spotlights.

Perhaps my biggest gripe with the Gladiator is the indicator stalk, which feels like the cheapest hollow plastic known to man. I can’t conceive of the person who insisted on the high-quality materials used throughout the cabin, then approved of this item, which is a constant touchpoint… Astonishing.

Room for rear-seat passengers isn’t exactly a luxury experience, but there’s enough room back there for a couple of adults to jump in on the way to a beach party.

The tub is yet another oddball feature of the Gladiator. While quite long at 1524mm, it’s relatively shallow at 444mm, with just 1137mm between the wheel-arches. So it’s somewhere between a tub and a tray, without the benefits of either.

Then there’s the vehicle’s total payload, which is limited to just 693kg. Add a couple of passengers and a tank of fuel and that number quickly drops.

Having said that, there’s a spray-in bedliner, a Trail Rail adjustable tie-down system, fixed anchor points, and lighting.

If you’re wondering about the 419 stamped into the tub, it’s one of the many so-called ‘Easter eggs’ hidden around the ute, and refers to the area code for Toledo, Ohio – the city in which the Gladiator is built.

To see how the Jeep Gladiator lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

As mentioned, the sole option is a 3.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol V6, putting out 209kW of power and 347Nm of torque, and matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission with low-range.

To see how the Jeep Gladiator lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Jeep Gladiator drive?

This is where things start to get a bit tricky.

From a new-car perspective – comparing it to the likes of the segment leader, the Ford Ranger – the Gladiator drives poorly, with distant steering, unrefined suspension, and a wheezy petrol V6.

But change your approach and come at the Gladiator as an off-road workhorse, and you realise Jeep has done a reasonably good job of taming the beast and making it approachable for the everyday.

While there’s no getting around the comparisons that will be made to its similarly priced peers, the fact is the Gladiator has heavy-duty solid axles front and rear, and runs aggressive 32-inch all-terrain tyres from BFGoodrich. It’s been designed to do a job, and naturally that means compromises elsewhere.

The first day or two with the Jeep, I scoffed and muttered about its shortcomings. Then my attitude began to shift, and slowly the Gladiator began to make a lot more sense.

For some buyers – perhaps the majority – the Jeep Gladiator’s on-road manners are unforgivable, and they’ll cry foul of the American ute around the campfire while talking up the best points of whatever ute they actually purchased.

But for a small number of people who have a different set of priorities, the Jeep is a hardcore off-roader that has been made usable for the road.

That V6 may feel like it’s a generation or two old, but it still has power when you need it.

For the record, its claimed fuel consumption of 12.4L/100km was closer to 14.1L/100km around town – then dropped to 12.8L/100km after a two-hour highway drive.

So is the suspension actually unrefined? Yes, but it’s comfortable enough, and can absorb some big whacks without making a song and dance about it. This isn’t a car for racing at the Nurburgring – it’s meant to get you over a big pile of rocks without breaking or getting stuck.

The point is, it can get you over that rockpile one day, then get you down to the shops to grab some milk the next.

Handling has to be considered with the same approach. This is a ladder-frame ute with Dana axles – if you want handling, buy a BMW or Porsche.

Off-road is where the Jeep shines. We took the Gladiator to Holden’s former test facility at Lang Lang, where it climbed a steep, loose hill without breaking a sweat, articulated easily over some moguls, and pulled itself through a water pool without fuss.

Curiously though, as I descended into the water, the car suddenly revved to about 4000rpm and hung there – despite my foot being on the brake.

After a few seconds of slight panic, I realised the low-range gearbox hadn’t engaged properly, owing to the violent engagement required of the brand-new transmission. After slamming it into 4Lo, the car pulled itself through the water and out the other side without any extra fanfare.

While I’m happy to chalk that one up to an oddity that would likely be impossible to replicate, cresting the top of a steep triangular hill did have the underside scraping, due to its 3488mm wheelbase.

The Jeep Gladiator was clearly developed with the idea that its owners would fit 37-inch mud-terrain tyres and a lift kit. The standard height and wheelbase don’t make any sense otherwise, given its off-road intentions – unless Jeep engineers assumed that every owner would modify their Gladiator with big tyres and a lift.

And that’s often the path owners take in the US.

The problem is, in pretty much all states and territories in Australia, there are strict rules on how much you can increase the overall diameter of a tyre before it’s illegal, and anything other than a minor lift kit will need an engineering certificate and mod plate fitted by professionals.

Ignore the rules and you could see your insurance or registration cancelled or, worse still, you could find yourself with a defect notice on the windscreen with a week to get the car fixed.

Bottom line? The Gladiator is flawed on the road, and – for the most part – great off it. None of which stopped me from enjoying its character, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

To see how the Jeep Gladiator lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

The latest Gladiator Rubicon has been loaded up, with the model now getting the Lifestyle Adventure Group option as standard, which includes things like the spray-in bedliner, the auxiliary switches, and the Trail Rail system, as well as lockable under-seat storage boxes, a 240-amp alternator, and – arguably the coolest thing about the Gladiator – a portable Bluetooth speaker for that beach party.

2026 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon equipment highlights:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• 32-inch off-road tyres
• LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• Body-colour fender flares
• Gorilla glass windscreen
• Rock-Trac four-wheel drive
• Three skid plates
• Proximity entry with push-button start
• 12.3-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 12-way power-adjustable front seats with 4-way lumbar
• Heated front seats
• Nappa leather upholstery
• Tilt and telescopic steering column adjustment
• Lockable under-seat storage
• Wireless Bluetooth speaker
• 240-amp alternator
• Auxiliary switch bank
• Spray-in bedliner
• Trail rail system
• Tie-down points
• Under-rail lighting
• Power outlet

To see how the Jeep Gladiator lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Jeep Gladiator safe?

Independent vehicle safety organisation, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program – better known as ANCAP – awarded the Jeep Gladiator three stars back in 2019, based on testing of the Wrangler by its Euro NCAP partner. That rating is expiring in December 2025, and the test criteria has been tightened several times since it was given.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Reversing camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Dual front airbags
• Dual front-side airbags
• Curtain airbags
• Rear seat reminder
• Tyre pressure monitoring

To see how the Jeep Gladiator lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Jeep Gladiator cost to run?

Jeep offers capped-price servicing across its lineup, with each service costing $399 for the first five services, for a total cost of $1995 over the first five years. Though keep in mind the Gladiator has service intervals of 12 months or 12,000km – whichever comes first.

As with its roadside assistance, the factory Jeep warranty covers the Gladiator for five years or 100,000km, making it one of the shortest new-car warranties in the industry by a distance; arguably, only Tesla is worse, at four years or 80,000km.

To see how the Jeep Gladiator lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon

I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with the Jeep Gladiator.

There’s no doubt it’s flawed. But like a puppy with an underbite and googly eyes, it’s those very flaws that actually become endearing over time.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is agricultural and flawed in similar ways, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the most desirable vehicles on sale. Maybe Jeep needs to make the Gladiator $250,000. Then there’s the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series, which comes with even less kit and costs about the same.

Unfortunately for Jeep, you won’t ‘get’ the Gladiator after a 20-minute test drive. You need to develop a relationship with it before you understand it. And honestly, our scoring system doesn’t do much to expose the Gladiator’s strengths, either.

There’s a simplistic nature to the Gladiator that is winning, and I found myself genuinely enjoying the ridiculous Hulk-green ute by the end of my week with it.

The farm-machinery doors that close with a proper clunk, the stupid seating position, the asthmatic engine, I really came to love it all… except for that indicator.

For most people, there are better options out there. Cheaper, more comfortable, better dynamics, more tech – but short of a LandCruiser GR Sport or an Ineos Grenadier, there are probably very few vehicles on sale today that would get as deep into the bush as the Gladiator without a long list of modifications.

With the classic Land Rover Defender now replaced by a modern SUV and the G-Class Professional long gone, the Gladiator feels like one of the last of the charming, boxy, hardcore off-roaders left in the world. And it’s a flippin’ convertible, too.

Like a partner that has more than just a touch of the crazy, you’ll be forever justifying, explaining, and apologising for the Gladiator to your friends and family. But for those few who don’t like to follow the pack and enjoy a bit of old-school in their new car, this Jeep could well be the one.

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