A diesel Gladiator? Don’t hold your breath

By Dean Mellor 2 Min Read

The question everyone wants answered: will there be a diesel Gladiator in Australia? And if so, what engine will it be and when will we get it?

In a recent one-on-one interview with Unsealed 4X4, we asked Jeep Australia boss Kevin Flynn when we could expect to see a diesel Gladiator in Australia, and what engine it would be. For those who want a super-capable off-road turbo-diesel dual-cab ute with a Jeep badge on it, his answer will be disappointing.

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Flynn was unable to give a firm answer to any of our questions regarding a diesel Gladiator, instead offering, “We’re the only market at the moment to get right-hand drive. We were the first ones. So the vehicle that has been made available to us is what we’ve got, which is the 3.6 Pentastar (petrol V6) and eight-speed (automatic) transmission, and that powertrain does a great job. It is incredibly robust, reliable, it works very well with that transmission, so in all fairness we’re very happy with it.”

Pentastar V6
The Gladiator is only available with a Pentastar 3.6L petrol V6.

“Now I appreciate there is an interest, and demand in the place for diesel, but we are in a changing scene in terms of diesel, and where we sit today and where we could sit in three years’ time could be a very different environment,” Flynn says.

Flynn also pointed out that the Gladiator is not like other dual-cab utes on the Australian market. “It’s not a working ute, it is a lifestyle cum capable off-road, get-out-there, put your dirt-bikes in the back, put your jet-skis in the back, put your camping stuff in and go lose yourself…” he offered.

“I understand the passion for diesel, with torque and that kind of stuff, but there’s plenty of torque in (the petrol V6) engine and it’s a very, very durable powertrain, so I’m happy with it and that’s what we’ve got right now.”


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