2022 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon – Your Active Lifestyle Partner

I love pick-up trucks, as in love. While we are slowly going back to normal, one of the biggest changes during the pandemic is the sudden popularity of outdoor activities like hiking, cycling, and camping. What better way to do so with the Jeep Gladiator. 

The Gladiator is Jeep’s midsize pick-up truck entry. The nameplate itself came into existence in 1962 until 1971, with an eventual rebirth in 2018. With us is the Rubicon trim which is the most-equipped Gladiator you can get in the Philippines, and we’re taking it out on a little picnic and cycling trip in the outskirts of Metro Manila.

So what sets the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon apart from its competition, and what makes it the perfect active lifestyle partner?

It’s a Jeep

The Gladiator is undoubtedly a Jeep. It wears the brand’s rugged and iconic classic retro styling inside and out with the addition of a practical bed at the rear.

In front you have round LED headlights and the brand’s signature seven-slot grille. You also get large wheel arches that cover the large wheels in meaty off-road BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain (M/T) tires. Inside, you have basically the same interior as the Wrangler with its upright and simple classic retro design which perfectly matches the vehicle’s exterior.

Tech Made Better

The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon is equipped with the latest tech and safety features, useful for not only your daily drives, but also for longer weekend getaways. For entertainment, it comes with Jeep’s Uconnect infotainment system, controlled through an 8-inch touchscreen unit. This comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity which puts the distraction of using your smartphone away.

It also comes with blindspot monitoring which warns you that there is a vehicle or object that isn’t directly visible to you and through the vehicle’s side mirrors. This gives you ease when driving along highways and even in busy city streets before heading out. 

More Space and Ready for Adventure

What sets the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon apart from its siblings is the fact that it has a bed. The 5-foot steel bed allows you to load items such as bicycles for when you want to get back in shape, or perhaps some camping equipment for that beautiful outdoor overnight experience under the stars. Of course, let’s not forget that picnic table and chair set for when we go and eat surrounded by nature. The Gladiator’s soft-opening tailgate allows easier access to the bed, even by children.

That’s not all, just like its SUV sibling, the Jeep Gladiator features removable doors, a retractable front windshield, and a removable roof. Having the ability to do so gives us a more one with nature experience, in addition to the performance provided by its powertrain.

Performance To Match and Driving Confidence

The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon can definitely deliver when you need it too as under its hood is a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 petrol engine that produces 285 horsepower and 352 Nm of torque, paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission. This is what flawlessly allowed the vehicle to bring us to our destination in Tanay, Rizal, just an hour’s drive from Mandaluyong City where I live, and back.

Whether going on- or off-road, the Jeep Gladiator treats you with a confident driving experience. Steering is extremely light which provides ease of driving through tight city streets, which then tightens up once you get out into the open roads. Not only that, its wide track width allows the vehicle itself to remain extremely stable when taking corners such as on the Marilaque Highway, heading to Tanay, Rizal. 

Unlimited Capability

It is already a given that the Jeep Gladiator is undoubtedly very much capable of driving on any surface, especially off-road. With a ground clearance of 282 mm, approach angle of 43.4 degrees, breakover angle of , and a departure angle of 26 degrees, as well as Dana front and rear axles, combined with Fox shock absorbers, there really is no need to explain how capable this really is. In addition, it is possible to tow up to 3,500 kg with the Gladiator Rubicon, which gives you better hauling capability.

Unfortunately or fortunately, I don’t know, we made our way to our first and wrong stop that is Nature Venture Camp which we mistakenly pinned on our Waze app instead of our intended destination which was Viewscape Nature Park. Upon arrival, we discovered that it was closed so we made our way to an alternative which was named Gulod.

Gulod was surprisingly located quite far further down the road from Nature Venture Park, with a sign even saying that only 4×4 vehicles can enter. The Jeep Gladiator of course took the road with ease as it was quite rocky at first, then muddy (because of the weather). This was definitely a breeze for the Gladiator and it went through it with no second thoughts, probably even too basic for it.

As the saying goes, it’s always better to have 4×4 when you don’t need it, than not have it when you need it.

Finally, we found our way to our intended destination, Viewscape Nature Park. Here we were able to do a little picnic table set-up. Of course, the table and chair set we were able to bring using the Gladiator’s bed, together with two mountain bikes which we also used around the park after a nice meal.

Conclusion

All in all, the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon takes Jeep things a step further. You have the capability, you have the appearance, and you have the performance. Add to that being able to easily bring around your bike, your camping equipment, food? Well that and so much more. It really is the partner for the person with an active lifestyle.

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