Jeep has announced it will begin offering a diesel engine later this year in the 2021 Gladiator pickup, the mid-size truck introduced to the Jeep lineup as a 2020 model (check out our first drive review here).
The 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 will give Jeep the most powerful diesel in the mid-size class and the highest torque rating of any mid-size pickup.
The brand’s 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 generates 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. The next most potent diesel choices are the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, which share a 2.8L four-cylinder engine that makes 181 hp and 369 lb-ft.
Also read: Jeep Gladiator Towing Capacity & Payload – A Closer Look
The Gladiator will share its diesel with the Jeep Wrangler SUV (upon which the Gladiator is based) and the Ram 1500 pickup truck, all models that fall under the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) corporate umbrella. FCA builds the engine at a factory in Ferrara, Italy.
While other Gladiator engines are offered with a manual transmission, all diesel models will come with an eight-speed automatic that has been beefed up to handle the EcoDiesel’s additional torque.
Other than the availability of the diesel and its more robust transmission, the Gladiator will move into 2021 unchanged.
Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel fuel economy
Jeep hasn’t published fuel economy estimates yet for the Gladiator diesel, but the engine should make the truck significantly more efficient in all types of driving.
In the similar Wrangler Unlimited, the EcoDiesel is rated for 22/29 mpg (city/highway) for U.S. drivers, and 10.6/8.1 L/100 km (city/highway) in Canada. For comparison, a Wrangler Unlimited with a 3.6L gas V6 is rated 18/22 mpg (city/highway; U.S. models) and 12.9/10.7 L/100 km (city/highway; Canadian models).
Gladiator’s fuel economy rankings with the 3.6L gas motor are 17/22 mpg (city/highway; U.S.) and 13.7/10.7 L/100 km (city/highway; Canada). We estimate the Gladiator diesel will be rated around and 20/29 mpg (U.S.) and 11.2/8.1 L/100 km in Canada.
Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel availability
Jeep has not yet announced pricing for the Gladiator diesel in either Canada or the U.S., but has begun taking orders in both markets and says the truck will go on sale in the third quarter of 2020.
