Jeep lobs budget-minded Gladiator Sport S

BY CALLUM HUNTER | 16th Feb 2021

JEEP Australia has bolstered its local Gladiator line-up with the arrival of the entry-level Sport S which will check into showrooms priced from $65,450 plus on-road costs later this month offering consumers a more budget-focused entry into the Gladiator range.

Given it is priced some $10,000 below the Overland, it should hardly be surprising to find the Sport S is the most sparsely equipped variant in the range, however it still comes with all of the familiar Gladiator off-road hardware needed for touring.

Compared to its pricier stablemates, the Sport S can be singled out by its black wheelarches, black roof panels and silver 17-inch aluminium wheels.

Under the bonnet resides the same 3.6-litre ‘Pentastar’ V6 petrol engine as the rest of the range, still producing 209kW/347Nm and still hooked up to the same ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission.

Just like the Overland, the Selec-Trac on-demand 4x4 system comes as standard on the Sport S, as do the heavy-duty Dana front and rear axles, underbody skid plates and heavy-duty rock rails.

Other off-road friendly features shared with the higher grades include selectable tyre fill alert and a wash-out interior.

Standard creature comforts within the cabin consist of keyless entry and push-button start, fourth-generation UConnect 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, nine-speaker Alpine sound system, a 7.0-inch driver information display cluster and dual-zone climate control.

Front and rear exterior lighting – headlights, foglights, daytime running lights and tail-lights – are all LED.

Safety gear meanwhile includes forward collision warning plus, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and rear cross-path detection.

Those hoping for more gear on their Sport S without stepping up to the Overland will need to opt for the $2450 ‘Comfort and Technology Group’ pack which adds a bigger 8.4-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring satellite navigation as well as the aforementioned smartphone mirroring, deep tint sunscreen windows, remote start system, security alarm and a hard-top headliner.

Adventure-minded customers meanwhile who want to up the ruggedness of their vehicles can option the $2950 ‘Lifestyle Adventure Group’ which adds a roll-up tonneau cover, cargo management group with trail rail system, lockable rear underseat storage bin, spray-in bedliner, Bluetooth wireless speaker, auxiliary switch bank, 240-amp alternator and a 700-amp maintenance-free battery.

According to Jeep Australia brand and product strategy director Guillaume Drelon, the Gladiator S does not compromise on safety, technology or off-road ability despite being the base model.

“Since its arrival in Australia, the Gladiator has been turning heads on our roads and by expanding the range to include the Sport S specification, even more Australians will be able to own the only open-air truck,” he said.

Jeep Australia shifted 71 new Gladiators last month, accounting for a slim 0.5 per cent of the 4x4 ute segment however brand executives have previously stated the Gladiator was never intended to be a volume-seller.

2021 Jeep Gladiator pricing*