If your were looking for a name for a rugged conquer all ute you couldn’t come up with a better name than Gladiator and Jeep has done just that. Based on its long standing Wrangler the dual-cab Gladiator ute arrives this week – two models the Rubicon and the Overland, starting from $75,450. Given our penchant for rugged off-road trucks it’s bound to be a sure fire success. Sitting on a longer wheelbase to the Wrangler the Gladiator duo are powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine driving through an eight-speed ZF automatic to a part-time 4WD system with a lever selectable transfer case and front and rear locking diffs. Its boxy and rugged sitting on coil springs front and rear and 33-inch tyres with serious ground clearance. No diesel at this stage but the Jeep Gladiator is a welcome new addition  – its focus is off-road workhorse with little on-road compromise, a point that should make it popular in the bush.

I’m David Berthon

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