Chris Hansen
The new Gladiator ute is set to roll on and off Aussie roads in the next month. But the brand’s first ute in more than 30 years is different from anything else according to Jeep’s head designer Mark Allen.
Allen admits to feeling unsure about the Gladiator, which is based on the Wrangler off-roader.
“The proportions of [the Gladiator] are a bit awkward and that was the tough thing for us to deal with,” said Allen.
And like a lot of American products the Gladiator is supersized. Because Jeep has essentially added a tray to the back of a Wrangler the Gladiator is a big bopper – measuring about 5.6m long, about 30cm longer than a dual-cab Toyota HiLux.
