Jeep is getting ready to update the Gladiator pickup. The 2024 Jeep Gladiator will get the grille and cabin changes we’ve already seen on the latest Wrangler, along with a few truck-specific upgrades to make this Jeep more capable than before.
Park the 2024 Jeep Gladiator beside the 2023 and you’d have to be a big enthusiast of the model to tell the difference. But, look beyond the cosmetic changes and you’ll find differences that are meant to improve the experience. It’s what Jeep does. It’s what we’ve seen the company do for years, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
New Nose Means Better Cooling
On the outside, the most significant change is the grille. It’s wider and the grilles are slightly larger. The new opening lets more airflow through the radiator to help keep the Gladiator cool.
But the new nose doesn’t make a difference to payload or towing. At least, not much of one. The Gladiator will be able to tow the same 7,700 pounds in 2024 that it could in 2023. Payload goes up, but by a scant 15 pounds, to a max of 1,725. Still, the tow figure is tied for best-in-class, and the payload is tops by about the weight of 2 gallons of gas.
Jeep Gladiator Doesn’t Get Wrangler Rubicon’s Full Float Rear
The Wrangler Rubicon got a new full-floating rear axle for 2024 that added strength and increased tow rating. Jeep made no mention of that axle for the Gladiator, so it isn’t going to show up here for 2024. But, the Gladiator already comes with the Dana 44 axles that are beefier than non-Rubi Wranglers, so either it didn’t make that much difference for the pickup or the big axle is coming in 2025.
Other cosmetic changes include seven new wheel designs. Jeep is also dropping the whip antenna, like it did on Wrangler, and instead integrating it into the front window glass.
Safety Upgrades
Jeep is adding side curtain airbags to the 2024 Gladiator to improve occupant safety. Pre-tensioners for the outer rear seat belts are standard now, and Jeep says it has modified the structure to help side-impact crash safety.
12.3-Inch Screen for 2024 Gladiator
It’s inside this Jeep where you’ll find the biggest difference. A 12.3-inch landscape-style screen is standard and replaces the old 8.4-inch unit.
The bigger screen runs the Stellantis Uconnect 5 system. It’s Android-based and gets Amazon Alexa. It has the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, too, so you can leave your phone (and cable) safely in the console.
New off-road pages are included with the new system. The Jeep Dashboard gives you quick access to gauges like tilt angle. It also has buttons on-screen to fire up the high-res cameras that let you see the trail directly in front of you.
Jeep Adventure Guides, the automaker’s version of Trails Offroad, is also included. With every new Jeep, you get 2 years of access to around 200 trails. The dataset gives you crucial trail info like routing and waypoints, it also gives you helpful hints like level of difficulty and what types of obstacles you’re likely to find. If the 200 trails that come stock aren’t enough, a $40 per year subscription upgrades it to more than 3,000 trails.
Capability & Luxury Upgrades for 2024
Willys-trim Gladiators get a standard rear locker for 2024. All trims get a new Off-Road+ drive mode that tweaks driveline settings on the trail.
Jeep is also adding its new high-zoot X trims to the Rubicon and Mojave. Gladiator Rubicon X and Mojave X get Nappa leather front seats that are power-adjustable, just like in their Wrangler counterparts. Also as in the 2024 Wrangler, the power seats are still capable of being mostly submerged.
The 2024 Gladiator will also get three Upcountry kits from American Expedition Vehicles just like on Wrangler. The basic AEV Upcountry pack comes with 35-inch BFGs and a 2.0-inch lift. The Upcountry+ pack adds an AEV EX front bumper, and the AEV Level II kit gets 37s, a 2.3-inch lift with Bilstein 5100 shocks, skid plates, a winch, and 4.56:1 gears. The kits are installed by AEV before the Gladiator gets to the dealer.
2024 Gladiator 4xe?
So, what about powertrains? Jeep didn’t have much to say about engine options. We know the 3.0L EcoDiesel is dead, so that leaves the 285-horsepower 3.6L V6. That engine will likely carry over, like it did in the Wrangler. The eight-speed auto and six-speed stick should, uh, stick around.
What about 4xe? Head of Jeep Brand North America Jim Morrison said “all I can say is stay tuned.” The Jeep boss reminded everyone on the call that Jeep has said it will electrify all of its models by 2025. The Gladiator either gets electrified by then or dies, so we’d lean toward 4xe coming soon.
The 2024 Jeep Gladiator makes its debut at the Detroit Auto Show. It should be at dealers by the end of the year, and we can expect pricing in a few months.
