This is the 2025 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon finished in ’41 paint, a heritage-inspired matte-finish Olive Drab green, designed as a tribute to the legendary 1941 Willys MB military vehicle. In World War II the U.S. Army requested a 4×4 military vehicle, and the Willys MB delivered, with a spirit was forged by the fire of combat and honed in the heat of battle.
The Gladiator encapsulates that spirit, in a package with everything you would want for a family escape into the Australian bush, with a robust driveline, a powerful engine, and enough comfort to keep all of your passengers happy. The ’41 paint colour also blends in well with our gum trees, red earth, and inland waterways.
Under the boxy bodywork is the Rock-Trac 4×4 system is Active On-Demand with the option for 2H, 4H Auto, 4H part time, and 4L. I spent the week in 4H Auto and found that it was good to live with on a daily basis and on the gravel roads we took out to the Wollondilly River. The Front/Rear Tenneco Shocks soaked up the corrugations in the road, but the 32” BF Goodrich Off-Road tyres were a bit noisy on tarred roads and the ride was a little rough.
The 3.6 litre V6 petrol engine produces a maximum of 209kW of power and 347Nm of torque and is combined with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The official combined fuel economy is 12.4L/100km and for my I used 13.0L/100km.
You also have an Off-Road+ Mode in the Gladiator with Tru-Lok Front/Rear Locking Differentials, Dana Heavy Duty Front and Rear Axles, and an Electronic Front Sway-Bar Disconnect option. For tackling the serious off-road challenges, the Gladiator has an approach angle is 40.7ᵒ and the departure angle is 25.1ᵒ.
The gorilla head silhouette on the Jeep Gladiator found on the lower corner of the windshield indicates that the vehicle is equipped with optional Corning Gorilla Glass. This specialised, lightweight windshield is more resistant to cracks and chips from stones and debris, making it ideal for off-road durability.
It’s a big step up into the Gladiator and even the running board is up high, but once you’re in the cabin you have a great view of the environment around you. There’s even the option to bring the outside in with the roof and the doors being removable. But removing the doors will attract the attention of the police, so it shouldn’t be done on public roads in Australia.
The Rubicon has push button keyless entry on the front doors and push button start and the utilitarian cabin is quite well appointed. There’s a 12.3-inch infotainment screen with satellite navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with the latter working well for me. The voice control worked well for changing the radio station or making a phone call, but told me, “This country is not available” when I asked it to enter a destination in the sat nav.
The nine speaker Alpine premium audio system includes a portable speaker, which is charged while stored behind the rear seat. Media sources include FM/AM radio, DAB, USB, AUX, and smartphone, with mode change and volume controls located on the back of the steering wheel. There’s one AUX port, one USB-C and one USB-A port at the front of the centre console, but there is no ledge for your phone, so you end up putting it in the cup holders if it’s plugged in for charging.
The four auxiliary (AUX) switches in the Jeep Gladiator are factory-installed, pre-wired, and fused, providing a convenient way to control aftermarket accessories without modifying the dashboard. These switches are commonly used for off-road lights, winches, air compressors, and other electronics.
The driver gets a Techno leather steering wheel with a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, but does miss out on a foot rest and this was something I really wished that I had while driving on the highway. The Nappa leather seats are heated in the front and have power adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat height front and rear, and four-way lumber support.
The rear seats have a good amount of head and leg room, but lack under thigh support. They also have two ISOFix/three rear tether child seat restraint points that are clearly labelled and use proper metal clipping points behind the rear seats. Under the seats is a lockable storage box and the rear seats fold up and stay up out of the way to make it easy to access this storage space. As there is no cover over the tub you will also need to carry the groceries home on the rear seat, so keep that in mind if you also have small children.
The centre seat folds down as an arm rest with two cup holders that have grippy sides and there are another two large drink bottle holders between the rear foot wells. With nets on the doors and behind the front seats for storing other loose items and hooks on the front seats as well. The two air vents have individual direction and closure adjustment and it has a manual opening rear window to get passengers closer to the nature around them. For those screen-obsessed children there is only charge port near the rear seats is a USB-A port under the main arm rest.
The hard plastic lined tub has four fixed tie down points, one in each corner, and two movable points on tracks either side of the tub and another track at the front of the tub. The tub is 150cm deep and 112cm wide between the wheel arches and the tailgate locks and unlocks with the doors and has a soft open operation and manual close. A full-size spare tyre is located under the rear of the vehicle and there are two tow hooks on the rear bumper.
There’s another Easter egg here as well with a heart symbol and 419 embossed into the plastic along the top edge of the tub. ‘419’ is the area code for Toledo, Ohio, and the Heart represents love for Toledo, which is the home of the Toledo Assembly Complex where the Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler are manufactured.
The Jeep Gladiator has six airbags and comes standard with adaptive cruise control, full speed forward collision warning plus, rear cross traffic detection and blind spot monitoring. It also has a standard reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors and auto dusk sensing headlights.
The Jeep Gladiator has a 5 Year/100,000km warranty and Lifetime Roadside Assist (when your vehicle is serviced through Jeep). Scheduled servicing for the Gladiator is due every 12 months or 12,000 km, whichever comes first. With capped price servicing for the first five services priced at $399 each.
The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon starts at $82,990 plus on-road costs and this escape artist is priced at $84,135 excluding on-road costs thanks to the Premium Paint ($1,145). This is almost $10,000 less than the price of the last Jeep Gladiator Rubicon I drove in 2023. You can Build & Price your Jeep Gladiator online or visit your preferred Jeep dealer for more information.
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| Pros | Cons |
| The go anywhere attitude | No foot rest for the driver |
| The many Easter eggs | Noisy tyres when driving on-road |
| The 4H Auto mode | It’s quite high off the ground |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.