CAUGHT: 2020 Jeep® Gladiator Rubicon With Right-Hand-Drive:

A couple of weeks ago, one of our spy photographers caught a new 2020 Jeep® Gladiator Sport that featured a right-hand-drive (RHD) configuration. Now, our photographers have caught another RHD Gladiator doing testing near the Chrysler Headquarters and Technology Center in Auburn Hills, Michigan. This time, instead of being a entry-level in Sport, this particular model is a top of the line Rubicon model.

The Jeep brand showed off the new Gladiator to the EMEA region back in July at Camp Jeep hosted by the Jeep Owners Group (J.O.G.) in San Martino di Castrozza, Italy. However, the Gladiators shown at the event were technically the North American-spec models. This is one of the first times, we are seeing a true European-spec 2020 Jeep Gladiators with its European-spec tail lamps. 

The EMEA region isn’t the only region receiving the Gladiator outside North America. Jeep’s midsize pickup is also heading to Australia. With vehicles like the Holden Colorado (GM’s Chevrolet Colorado for the Australian market), the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Volkswagen Amarok, Mitsubishi Triton, and Nissan Navara, the Gladiator is going to be taking on a vast amount of new competition down under. With a release date for the summer of 2020, we wouldn’t be surprised if this truck isn’t more of an Australian-spec model considering that Europe won’t get the Gladiator till late 2020.

Since both Holden and Ford have quit building their popular UTE offerings in Australia, the midsize pickup market continues to grow rapidly and Jeep is bringing the big guns to do battle. The Australian market will get both the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 powertrains, once the vehicle hits the country’s shores. But there is one thing that has a lot of Australians worried… safety.

The Jeep Wrangler (JL) had a terrible showing during its evaluation during Euro NCAP testing and only received a one-star rating.  A big blow for the ever-popular SUV. The good news for the Gladiator is, for how much of the two vehicles share, they are drastically different. The Gladiator still has yet to obtain official National Transportation Highway Safety Administration (NTHSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) safety scores, so we aren’t clearly sure how the new Jeep pickup will do just yet.

Nevertheless, Jeep’s Toledo-built midsize pickup has a lot to do on the global stage to climb up the midsize truck ranks. Currently, Jeep has yet to announce which trim-levels will be released in Australia. While the other RHD model we showed you was a Sport model, the Sport model is destined for the European market. Currently, if the pattern continues, Jeep will offer similar offerings to that of the Wrangler in select markets. That means that more than likely, a Gladiator in Australia would be offered in Sport S, Overland, and Rubicon models.

Stay tuned, as we continue to bring you the latest in the global debut of the 2020 Jeep Gladiator.