V6-powered Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux rival updated: 2026 Jeep Gladiator line-up scaled back to one flagship variant that’s now cheaper than ever

Jeep has detailed the pricing and specifications of its updated Gladiator ute ahead of examples arriving at local dealers this month.

The 2026 Jeep Gladiator is now only offered in one flagship Rubicon trim level. The Night Eagle trim is no longer offered.

It’s priced from $82,990 before on-road costs, which is $4260 more affordable than the pre-update version.

A lot of what the Gladiator has received with this updated mirrors what the related Wrangler SUV got last year.

One difference however is the Gladiator continues to be powered by the venerable 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol engine instead of the new 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine.

This V6 still produces 209kW of power and 347Nm of torque. It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with drive sent through a Rock-Trac full-time four-wheel drive system that features a crawl ratio and an electronic front swaybar disconnect function.

Claimed combined fuel consumption is still 12.4L/100km, braked towing capacity is 2721kg, unbraked towing capacity is 750kg and payload is 693kg.

On the outside the Gladiator now gets a new seven-slot front grille that’s wider and has a body-coloured surround, revised 17-inch alloy wheel design with 32-inch off-road tyres, body-coloured wheel arch flares, plus the antenna has been integrated into the new Gorilla glass windscreen, replacing the previous steel mast antenna on the bonnet.

There’s also an additional underbody skid plate, adding to the steel rock rails for protection off-road.

Inside there’s a new dashboard setup that features a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system that runs the Uconnect 5 operating system and offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, more soft-touch materials on the instrument panel, as well as an “enhanced” seven-microphone array.

Other changes include an improvement to NVH, as well as standard 12-way power front seats that are finished with Nappa leather-trimmed upholstery.

The previous ‘Lifestyle Adventure Group’ is now standard with this update. It includes a lockable underseat storage area, trail rail system, auxiliary switch bank, 240A alternator, bluetooth speaker and spray-in bedliner.

The only options now include premium paint and a body-colour hardtop. These cost $1145 and $1950, respectively.

On the safety front, the Gladiator now gains side curtain airbags, rear seat reminders and an auto high-beam function. There’s also autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and a reverse camera.

A total of eight exterior paint colours are offered. These include Bright White, Black, Firecracker Red, Hydro Blue, Granite Crystal, Anvil, ‘41, and Mojito.

2026 Jeep Gladiator pricing:

Variant:	Pricing (before on-road costs)
Gladiator Rubicon	$82,990