BATTLE READY

AS THE GLADIATOR CREEPS CLOSER, WE DRIVE JEEP’S NEW PICK-UP TRUCK IN THE WILDS OF NEW ZEALAND.

- MATT RAUDONIKIS

JEEP’S new Gladiator pick-up lands in Australian dealers midyear, but to give us a taste of what is to come Jeep shipped a handful of the muscular trucks to New Zealand’s South Island to see how they drive. While we did get a quick blast in a Gladiator Rubicon in the Nevada desert last month, it was great to spend a few more days with this much-anticipated model in extremely different terrain.

The vehicles on offer were American-spec Gladiator Rubicon models, so they were equipped with Jeep’s full arsenal of off-road weaponry. This includes Dana 44 live axles (front and rear) fitted with extra-low 4.1:1 gears and locking centres, plus 4.1s in the transfer case for extra-low crawling ratios; a disconnecting front swaybar; and 33-inch off-road tyres and suspension. Some of the vehicles were fitted with extra Mopar accessories including 35-inch tyres, taller springs and Fox shocks … one rig even had tube doors.