Gladiators, are you ready?

GLADIAT T

O -road, the Jeep Gladiator shows it’s no sword-wielding gladiator of old. It comes out with guns blazing!

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Words: Vann van Staden winewheelsandwatches

WWhenever anything American arrives on our shores, I shoot over to Reddit, arguably the best spot for authentic and, sometimes, random information, to see what real people think of it. The Americans are brutal on some topics, and I have often found that their opinions don’t really matter. I mean, in the US, they call biltong ‘jerky’. As word got out we are fi nally getting the mother of all bakkies, the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, I shot over to my favourite site to see what the ’Mericans think of it. There were some gems and some not-so-great comments, but the one that cracked me up was this: “For a husband whose favourite pastime is imagining arguments he can win.” However, jokes aside, regarding Jeep’s double cab, the Gladiator arguably wins all possible arguments about its o -road capabilities when put through its paces o the beaten track. Here’s why… I sampled the king-sized double cab in the metal. It was all I imagined it to be… and more! The exterior has a macho presence on the road. When sitting behind the multifunction steering wheel, the driving position is commanding, as it should be in a car bearing the name ‘Gladiator’. However, this is no gladiator of old, like those sword-wielding men seen in Ridley Scott’s iconic fi lm. Jeep’s bakkie comes out with all guns blazing. Apart from being extremely capable when entering the o -road arena (we’ll get to that just now), it features several premium features inside. These include the US brand’s 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 7.0-inch digital instruments, and heating functionality for the leather-trimmed front seats. Adaptive cruise control and a rear-view camera supplemented by fore and aft park distance sensors (a welcome addition when parking the gargantuan Gladiator) are also present, as is the all-important tyrepressure monitoring system. The nine-speaker Alpine sound system drowned out some of the noise emitted from the 32-inch BF Goodrich o road tyres. However, as a proud Jeep owner, the second we hit the open road, the tyre noise was music to my ears. Objectively, though, the road noise permeating the cabin is intrusive. However, it’s a trade-o you’ll have to learn to live with if you plan to take the Gladiator to where it’s most at home – o -road. As this is, in essence, a convertible bakkie, of course there would be more noise. Speaking of the convertible roof, just about everything can be removed from the Gladiator. The doors and rear-window section detach and the windscreen folds down, giving you the ultimate ‘at one with your surroundings’ experience.

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But back to our road trip. We soon ran out of tarmac and were met with a highly unkempt gravel road. This is where the Gladiator shows o . It handled amazingly on the gravel.

Then, leaving the gravel, we put the Jeep bakkie’s o -road credentials to the test. Many moons ago, I went on a 4x4 training day. It was my fi rst time on an o -road track and I was nervous. However, behind the wheel of the Gladiator, nerves were something of the past. This is what it was built for. The 4x4 course was no match for the Gladiator, thanks to its thick, o -road rubber wrapped around its 17-inch wheels and standard fore and aft FOX shocks. The Rock-Trac 4x4 system is linked with heavy-duty Dana front and rear axles. The Gladiator also features Jeep’s Tru-Lok locking di erentials, which meant the Gladiator cleared all obstacles with ease. The approach and departure angles are 43.4 and 26 degrees, respectively. The break-over angle comes in at 20.3 degrees. The ground clearance is rated at 249 mm. Although, with its extended bodywork (5 591 mm in length and 3 488 between the axles), I found I had to navigate some obstacles with a touch more caution. Despite this, the Gladiator delivered. A

Jeep Gladiator 3.6 Rubicon AT

Price: R1 299 900 Engine: 3.6 L, V6, petrol Transmission: 8-spd AT Power: 209 kW @ 6 400 r/min Torque: 347 Nm @ 4 100 r/min 0-100 km/h: n/a Top speed: n/a Fuel consumption: 12.4 L/100 km CO2: 288 g/km