This new Jeep Gladiator is still not what we expected
Jeep announces a new edition of its Gladiator pickup called Dark Sky, which joins the 2025 range. Once again, the brand is having fun with colors and options (nothing like the Easter Jeep Safari concepts, of course), but it's not the model we're most looking forward to.
This Gladiator Dark Sky stands out with a performance hood inspired by the Mojave version, gloss black inserts on the bumpers and dark-looking badges and graphics. The package costs an additional $1,495.
Equipment is based on that of the entry-level Sport S version. However, customers here will have the option of adding a body-color hardtop for an additional $3,095. Orders are now being taken at Jeep dealerships.
To be clear, there's nothing mechanically different. The only combination is the 3.6-liter V6 (285 hp, 260 lb-ft) with the eight-speed automatic transmission, as the manual gearbox has been eliminated from the Gladiator's catalog for 2025. Maximum towing capacity is 7,700 lb, a record among four-wheel-drive midsize pickups.
If you recall, in May 2024 Jeep confirmed the arrival of a plug-in hybrid Gladiator 4xe in 2025. We're still waiting for it, and we're still not sure whether it will be a 2025 or 2026 model.
Like the Wrangler 4xe, this electrified Gladiator will combine a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and a 17 kWh battery. Expect the same 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. It remains to be seen whether the range in electric mode will differ from the 35 km we already know.
The only other hybrid midsize pickup on the market right now is the new Toyota Tacoma i-Force MAX, but this one isn't plug-in. A little competition would be nice, wouldn't it?
