2026 Jeep Gladiator
JT, 1st generation (2020–present)
Spec plateChecked Sep 2026
- Starting price
- $39,820
- 4x4 from
- $39,820
- Max towing
- 7,700 lb
- Max payload
- 1,720 lb
- Most power
- 285 hp
- Ground clearance
- 11.1 in
Rubicon
Our verdict
The Rubicon is one of the most trail-ready pickups you can buy off a showroom floor: lockers at both ends, a disconnecting sway bar and a 4:1 transfer case on solid axles. The price is a long wheelbase that limits breakover, a single 285-hp V6 and fuel economy stuck at 19 mpg. The Mojave trades the front locker and disconnect for FOX bypass shocks and is the better pick for fast desert roads.
Best for
Rock crawlers and trail regulars who want Wrangler Rubicon hardware with a bed.
Skip it if
You tow near the limit or spend most of your time on the highway; the V6 works hard, and the solid front axle rides like one.
Strengths
- The only pickup with removable doors and roof and a fold-down windshield
- Rubicon: front and rear lockers, sway-bar disconnect and a 4.0:1 low range (up to 77:1 crawl)
- 43.4-degree approach angle on the Rubicon (44.7 on the Mojave)
- Solid Dana 44 axles front and rear
- 7,700-lb max towing when properly equipped
Weak spots
- One engine: a 285-hp V6 with 260 lb-ft, automatic only
- 19 mpg combined on every trim
- The long 137.3-in wheelbase limits breakover to 20.3 degrees on the Rubicon
- Rubicon is rated for only 7,000 lb of towing and 1,100 lb of payload
Capability vs other midsize trucks
- Cabs
- Crew Cab
- Bed lengths
- 5 ft
- Fuel economy
- 19 mpg combined (17 city/22 hwy), all 2026 trims (EPA)
- Pricing notes
- 2026 Sport, excluding the $1,995 destination charge (Jeep.com starting price; Edmunds agrees). Every Gladiator is 4x4. Edmunds prices: Willys $45,750, Sahara $48,115, Rubicon $52,520, Mojave $53,215, Rubicon X $60,515, Mojave X $61,210.
- Configurations
- Four-door crew cab only, with removable doors and roof panels and a fold-down windshield; 5-ft steel box (60.3 in with the tailgate closed) on a 137.3-in wheelbase
Off-road hardware
4WD / AWD system
All models are 4x4 with two-speed transfer cases. Sport, Sport S, Willys and Mojave use the part-time Command-Trac NV241 (2H/4H/N/4L, 2.72:1 low). Mojave offers the full-time Selec-Trac MP3022 (adds an Auto mode, 2.72:1 low). The Rubicon gets the Rock-Trac NV241OR with a 4.0:1 low range, part-time as standard and full-time optional. With 4.10 axles and the 8-speed automatic, Jeep quotes a crawl ratio of up to 77:1.
Low range 4:1
Locking differentials
Rubicon: Tru-Lok electronic lockers front and rear on 3rd-gen Dana 44 axles. Willys and Mojave: rear Tru-Lok electronic locker with an open front. Sport and Sport S: open differentials, with a Trac-Lok limited-slip rear available in a package.
| Approach angle | 43.4° |
|---|---|
| Breakover angle | 20.3° |
| Departure angle | 26.0° |
| Ground clearance | 11.1 in |
| Water fording | 31.5 in |
Off-road tech
- electronic front sway-bar disconnect (Rubicon)
- Tru-Lok front and rear lockers (Rubicon)
- Selec-Speed Control (available)
- forward-facing off-road camera (Rubicon/Mojave, packaged)
- FOX internal-bypass shocks (Mojave)
- fuel-tank and transfer-case skid plates
- removable doors and roof, fold-down windshield
Engines & transmissions
| Engine | Power | Torque | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L Pentastar V6Only powertrain on every trim; the 6-speed manual was dropped after the 2024 model year | 285 hp | 260 lb-ft | 8-speed automatic (850RE) |
The off-road trims
Willys
Rear Tru-Lok locker, 32-in LT255/75R17 mud-terrain tires, cab rock rails and Command-Trac 4x4.
Mojave
Desert Rated: FOX 2.5-in internal-bypass shocks with external reservoirs, FOX front hydraulic jounce bumpers, wide-track Dana 44s, rear Tru-Lok, 33-in tires and optional full-time Selec-Trac.
Rubicon
Front and rear Tru-Lok lockers, electronic front sway-bar disconnect, Rock-Trac 4.0:1 transfer case, 4.10 axles and 33-in Falken Wildpeak A/T tires (M/T optional).
Rubicon X / Mojave X
Packages that add leather, a body-color hardtop, a tech group with the forward-facing off-road camera and a steel front bumper to the Rubicon or Mojave hardware.
Shadow Ops (Rubicon-based special edition)
Factory-installed winch plus heavy-duty steel front and rear bumpers; limited run from February 2026.
What's new for 2026
Enhanced door hinges make door removal quicker, plus a new Willys '41 model, available aggressive all-terrain tires on the Sport S and new colors. A Sahara trim joined in December 2025, followed by Shadow Ops, Whitecap and Rewind special editions. A 2027 Gladiator Sarge special edition was revealed in June 2026.
Rivals worth a look
Sources & data notes
These specs were checked on September 24, 2026 against the sources below, starting with the manufacturer's own material. When a figure isn't published, we leave it blank instead of estimating. Ratings are maximums for the best-equipped configuration; confirm yours on the door-jamb labels.
Sources for this page 15
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Understand the hardware
