Jeep’s new ute has a diesel engine, which would be perfect for a market like Australia that loves diesel utes. A pity it’s not coming here.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Australia has confirmed the Gladiator EcoDiesel isn’t planned for right-hand drive markets at this time.
Unlike the diesel Wrangler sold here, the Gladiator EcoDiesel uses a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6. It’s a newer version of the mill used in the Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 and produces 193kW of power and a stout 599Nm of torque. The only transmission is FCA’s eight-speed automatic, which has been re-calibrated for low RPM shifts.
Developed by VM Motori and manufactured in Italy, the EcoDiesel V6 is also available in the US-market Wrangler. Again, that variant is off-limits to us.
FCA hasn’t released fuel economy figures for the Gladiator EcoDiesel but it promises to be notably more efficient than the petrol V6.
That model consumes 11.2L/100km on the combined cycle in Overland trim and 12.4L/100km in the Rubicon, while producing 209kW of power and 347Nm of torque.
The third-generation EcoDiesel engine – also found under the bonnet of the latest generation Ram 1500 not yet sold here – incorporates stop/start technology. There’s also a 19L diesel exhaust fluid tank behind the fuel tank; FCA says refills align with oil changes.
When it arrives in US dealers in the third quarter of this year, the EcoDiesel will be available in Sport, Overland and Rubicon trims.
That means the EcoDiesel is offered with both the Command-Trac and Rock-Trac four-wheel drive systems, with 2.72:1 and 4.0:1 low-range gear ratios, respectively.
The EcoDiesel skips the Sport S, a lower trim level that’ll arrive here later this year. There also won’t be an EcoDiesel version of the Mojave, a Gladiator variant focused on desert-running and which features Jeep’s first Desert Rated badge.
