SPOTTED: Jeep® Gladiator Rubicon Models Caught Testing On The Streets Of Brazil:

Just a short time after Stellantis halted production of it’s popular 2021 Jeep® Gladiator (JT) for a week at its Toledo Assembly Complex due to the semiconductor shortage, the midsized pickup has been spotted on public roads of Brazil. Brazil is currently, the brand’s second-largest market thanks to the people of Brazil embracing the locally built Jeep Renegade, Compass, and now the all-new Commander models.

While the Renegade and Compass make up a majority of sales for the brand in Brazil, the American adventure brand continues to invest in the market. The Jeep brand launch of the all-new Commander seven-passenger D-SUV has shown the brand’s commitment to the South American country. There have also been several Grand Cherokee L three-row E-segment SUVs testing on Brazilian roads for the past few months. But it appears that the Gladiator might be the latest vehicle added to the Brazilian lineup going into 2022.

Two white Rubicon-spec Gladiator pickups were caught together testing by our good friends at Autos Segredos (Auto Secrets). Both models appeared to be Pentastar V6-powered. The 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 delivers 285 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque and features engine stop-start (ESS) technology. 

The move to bring the Gladiator comes as Stellantis has dominated the Brazilian pickup market with products like the Fiat Strada, Fiat Toro, Ram 1500, and Ram 2500. The FIAT brand controls the market with the biggest portion of sales for the pickup truck market, while the Ram 1500 Rebel and Ram 2500 Laramie will be joined by the Ram 3500 Limited Longhorn for the 2022 model year.

The Gladiator will fill the only segment that Stellantis does not have a pickup offering in, the midsized segment. But don’t expect it to be a high-volume model. More than likely, the Gladiator will be more of a lifestyle vehicle like the Wrangler while offering more capability. 

The addition of the Gladiator only adds to the brand’s push forward on the global market by adding the Gladiator in most of the markets that the iconic Wrangler is currently sold in. The Jeep brand has not released anything officially about the introduction of the Gladiator to its Brazilian lineup, however, last year we did see Ram 1500 Rebel models testing in Brazil a few months before the RAM brand introduced that model to its brand lineup. So it seems like a high possibility that the Gladiator will soon be introduced, maybe for the 2022 model year.

2022 Jeep® Gladiator Rubicon Testing In Brazil Image Gallery:

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