2020 Jeep Gladiator pricing and fuel economy revealed

The 2020 Jeep Gladiator will start from $33,545, with a special Gladiator Launch Edition kicking off sales of the long-anticipated truck. Unveiled last November, the 2020 Gladiator is clearly related to its Wrangler sibling, but Jeep insists that it's more than just an SUV with a bed tacked on the back.

The five foot box, for instance, will hold 95-percent of motorcycles on the market, Jeep claims. All Gladiator models are 4x4, and have the same 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine. That's good for 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.

The Gladiator will tow up to 7,650 pounds, and has a payload rating of up to 1,600 pounds, trim depending. As for economy, Jeep confirmed its EPA numbers today. In automatic form, the 2020 Gladiator is rated for 17 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and 19 mpg combined. The manual version gets 16 mpg in the city, 23 mpg on the highway, and the same 19 mpg combined.

2020 Jeep Gladiator pricing

What we'd been waiting to hear was just how much the Gladiator would cost. That's been confirmed today, with the 2020 Gladiator Sport coming in at $33,545 (plus $1,495 destination). It's roughly a $2,000 premium over the comparable four-door Wrangler.

The 2020 Gladiator Sport S, meanwhile, starts at $36,745 (plus the same $1,495 destination). The Overland trim starts at $40,395 (plus destination). Finally, the 2020 Gladiator Rubicon – the most off-road-ready of the four trims – starts at $43,545 (plus destination).

While those numbers might seem fairly high, Jeep's standard trim levels are also competitive. All trims get air conditioning, push-button start, storage behind and underneath the rear seats, and an eight-speaker audio system. All but the entry-level Sport gets at least a 7-inch Uconnect 4 infotainment system, two USB and two USB-C ports in the back of the center console, and hill-start assistance.

It's worth noting that, in all cases, the six-speed manual transmission is standard. If you want the eight-speed automatic, that will be an option.

As for the accessories and packages, they'll be priced as follows:

Max Tow – $995

Trailer Tow – $250

Bedliner – $495

Tonneau cover – $495

Bluetooth speaker – $295

Aux switches -$295

Forward-facing TrailCam -$595

Steel front bumper – $695

Cargo management group with 115V outlet and bed trail rails -$895

2020 Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition

Anticipation for the new Gladiator has been strong, and Jeep is hoping to capitalize on that with a special model. The 2020 Gladiator Launch Edition will be a limited run of 4,190 units – a nod to the 419 area code of the Toledo, Ohio facility where the pickup will be manufactured – in the US. Pre-orders will open online on April 4th.

Compared to the regular truck, the Gladiator Launch Edition will have 17-inch Mid Gloss Black aluminum wheels, 33-inch Fallen Wildpeak All-Terrain tires, black leather seats with red accent stitching, and a wrapped instrument panel with Monaco silver trim. There'll also be special forged aluminum tail gate badging. Jeep will offer it in Black, Bright White, Billet Silver Metallic, Firecracker Red, and Granite Crystal Metallic, all outfitted with a body-color hard top and fender flares.

As you'd expect, it'll basically be fully-loaded in the cabin. That means the 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment upgrade with a 9-speaker Alpine audio system, along with various active safety aids. It'll come with the manual transmission as standard, but with the eight-speed auto as an option.

You'll pay handsomely to be one of the 4,190 owners, mind. The 2020 Gladiator Launch Edition will be $60,815, or at least that's the sticker price. While the initial purchase will be started online, and then confirmed via a special Jeep concierge, the final order will be handled through a dealer of the buyer's selection. It's up to that dealer to settle on what you'll actually pay: there's no sign of anything like Dodge's attempt to prevent dealer price gouging, which Jeep's cousin put into place back when the Demon launched in 2017.

2020 Gladiator deliveries

Jeep says it expects the Gladiator to begin arriving in dealerships starting this May. As well as the trucks themselves, there'll also be a variety of accessories and add-ons from the automaker's Mopar parts business.