2023 was a rough year for the Jeep Gladiator, and part of the reason is its price…at least judging by recent cuts.
While automakers across the industry enjoyed growing sales volumes over the past year, the picture did not look nearly as rosy for Jeep. In response to slumping figures — deliveries dropped 6% last year alone — the company is cutting prices across its lineup, including the midsize Gladiator pickup. In fact, The Detroit News reports that Jeep is adding on about $3,000 worth of content to the Wrangler and Gladiator, then dropped the latter’s MSRP by $1,700.
Among major automakers selling new vehicles in the U.S., Stellantis had the highest average transaction price of $53,300.
“We need to do something on market penetration and market share, because it’s not where this brand deserves to be” new Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa recently told journalists at a media roundtable. In a tacit admission that pricing is getting too high for new vehicle buyers to tolerate, things are at least starting to creep in a more affordable direction.
To that end, the 2024 Jeep Gladiator starts off at $39,790 including an $1,895 destination fee. For a base Sport, that’s still not what some folks would call “cheap”, but this model does come better equipped than its forebear. In addition to the slightly revised grille, each 2024 Jeep Gladiator gets a 12.3-inch infotainment display with FCA’s latest Uconnect 5 infotainment system, as well as side-curtain airbags. Sport S models get forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control, though you are stepping into the $43,290 range by going up to the next trim.
You could still argue the Gladiator’s price is too high, as you’re not going to feel that $1,700 price shave as you step up the product stack to popular models like the Rubicon. That model still starts at $54,890 before any additional options, putting it hot on the heels of the Ford Ranger Raptor and well ahead of the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. The Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road, by comparison, has an MSRP of $43,295 (provided you can get one without dealer “adjustments”).
Just those three trucks alone, all of which have seen major revamps within the past year or so, show the fierce competition Jeep faces. The brand doesn’t just compete here, either, as it grappled with slipping sales across nearly every model except the Compass and Grand Cherokee (both of those also saw price cuts).
Short of an expanded product offering like the Gladiator 4xe, price cuts are at least a step in the right direction to woo some new buyers into Jeep’s midsize truck.
