Australia to be biggest Jeep Gladiator market outside US

More Jeep Gladiator utes will be sold in Australia than anywhere in the world apart from North America, according to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA).

“There is good strong early demand for Gladiator,” FCA Australia president and chief executive Steve Zanlunghi told carsales.com.au at the launch of the new Jeep Wrangler last week.

“Our dealers have plenty of prospects and they’re saying it’s going to be a game-changer. The global forecast is that we’ll be the biggest market outside the US.”

Zanlunghi said he didn’t know if the Gladiator would become Jeep’s top-seller in Australia, where the pecking order last year was Grand Cherokee (with 3939 sales followed by Compass (1329) and Wrangler (1092).

Nor would he divulge precise local launch timing beyond “2020 at some point” or any sales projections, because he said the Gladiator had the potential to steal sales from the all-new Jeep Wrangler on which it’s based.

“The microsite is up and running and we’re on track for our launch date,” he said. “Gladiator will be positioned as a lifestyle pick-up, and the only ute you can remove the doors and roof and lower the windscreen of.

“[But] We see there will be some sales cannibalisation [with Wrangler].”

However, Jeep’s Australian chief did confirm that a Launch Edition version of the Gladiator -- which our sources says will arrive in local showrooms in the first half of next year, so within 12 months or so – will be available here.

“There will be a Launch Edition for Australia and it will be unique to the range, but it won’t necessarily be the same one as in the US, where all 4190 units sold out within 24 hours.”

Based on the top-shelf Jeep Gladiator Rubicon four-door, the US Launch Edition is powered by a 3.6-litre petrol V6 and features a body-colour hard-top, forged-aluminium tailgate badge, LED headlights and tail-lights, fender flares, tow kit, spray-on bed liner and 17-inch mid gloss black aluminium wheels wrapped in 33-inch Falken tyres.

Inside, the instrument cluster is finished in Monaco silver, the seats wear black leather with red stitching and all top-end equipment is present, including an 8.4-inch touch-screen, nine-speaker stereo, keyless start/entry and front-facing trail camera.

Suffice to say, like all Jeep Gladiator variants, the Launch Edition won’t be cheap in Australia, where Jeep’s first direct rival for the Toyota HiLux will be exclusively diesel-powered.

As we’ve reported, based on US pricing, even the cheapest Jeep Gladiator could be priced close to $60,000 in Australia, where the top-spec Gladiator should easily top $70K.

Stateside, the Gladiator commands a price premium of about five per cent over the equivalent (four-door) Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, which starts at $53,450 plus on-road costs for the petrol-powered Sport S here.

At the top-end of the range, add five per cent to our four-door Jeep Rubicon diesel auto’s $68,950 price tag, and the flagship Jeep Gladiator would cost $72,400 before on-road costs – just shy of the Volkswagen Amarok TDI580 Ultimate ($72,790), Mercedes-Benz X 350d (from $73,270) and Ford Ranger Raptor ($75,390).

Jeep says it will offer more than 200 Mopar accessories for the 2020 Gladiator – including lift kits, rock rails and off-road LED lights – but if the Wrangler is any guide Australians won’t have access to factory-backed tubular doors and 35-inch mud tyres, which don’t meet ADRs.