I'm sure many Jeepers will be crying in their beer with the news that the Jeep Gladiator pickup concept will not see production
. According to Jeep sources, a strong business case could not be put forth for a new small pickup, as the small truck market is moving towards midsize trucks. Color me one of the disappointed, as I too would love to have seen another Jeep pickup back in Jeep showrooms.
Snippet: Despite the strong favorable consumer response, the final go-ahead was issued only after President and CEO Tom LaSorda ordered that the business case be based on the high-margin scenario of a limited production run and scaled-down volumes...
The Gladiator concept, which features bold styling that influenced the redesigned ’07 Jeep Wrangler, is based on a unique platform. But Ridenour told Ward’s previously that a production truck, if approved, would have been a niche vehicle based on an existing midsize body-on-frame architecture.
roar02ram says:
12:57 PM, 08/22/06
Maybe if that stupid Compass had been cancelled, Jeep could've green-lighted the Gladiator. Methinks it would've been a great halo car. Then again, the Compass is selling like hotcakes, so go figure.
mercedesman1 says:
01:22 PM, 08/22/06
I wish they would have come out with just something different from SUV's it would really spice up the lineup IMO
ateixeira says:
02:11 PM, 08/22/06
While a cool concept, it just wouldn't have sold well.
The cabin was way too small. The size of the old extended cab pickups, people prefer double cabs nowadays, and would have left the Jeep dealers in droves.
That plus the bed capacity was poor. And the feature where the bed extended in to the cab would never have sealed properly, can you imagine the wind/water leaks?
A high-priced pickup with a small cab *and* a small bed would have flopped, no matter how cool the concept was.
carspy says:
05:39 PM, 08/22/06
They should really make one on a lager platform. It would be a great vehicle.
ateixeira says:
07:24 AM, 08/23/06
That would be more feasible.
Remember, though, Jeep often looks back at older concepts when it comes out with new models. Often the influence happens 5 years later.
fatherbrop says:
04:49 AM, 08/24/06
My brother and I were each waiting to buy one when they came out. Even though he can't get his current jeep to pass emissions and my Liberty dropped a lower ball joint sitting in the driveway yesterday (it's true). Now I learn the Gladiator is canned. What does it take to be a loyal customer? Cash doesn't seem enough anymore. There is no excuse for not launching production of the Gladiator. "Boo Hoo we can't make a billion dollars". What about giving us die hards a break and do a limited test run? Where is the CUSTOMER'S much deserved loyalty. Sheesh, settle for breaking even in the spirit of thankfulness for once.
chrisducati says:
06:30 AM, 08/24/06
Sad.
smithbarbula says:
10:14 AM, 09/ 9/06
i think a jeep pick-up , full sized or mid-sized would sell well. my husband and i are jeep people ,as was my grandpa who would drive nothing else. jeep pick-ups are great. i've been waiting for a new version. right now we own just two jeeps. a 1975 CJ6 and a 1997 Wrangler. at one time we had 8 different jeeps from the 50's up but we moved and had to sell most of them. i think the dream vehicle would be a jeep pick-up and the gladiator looks awesome.