Jeep Gladiator

The inversion is complete. When Jeep launched the Gladiator in Europe in 2021 they took the odd decision to offer it only with the 3.0 EcoDiesel V6 and 264 hp. The 3.6 Pentastar petrol was never officially imported, and at the end of 2023 the model was withdrawn from sale over emissions. In our stock the ratio is reversed: the 3.6 petrol is almost everything and the diesels are a handful.

The manual gearbox is the second thing Europe never had. The 3.6 is offered with an eight-speed automatic and with a manual, and a manual Gladiator never existed in Europe. About a third of the ones whose gearbox we know are manual. The drivetrain is not a variable — as on the Wrangler, all of them are 4x4.

If you are looking at a diesel anyway, know what you are buying. The 3.0 EcoDiesel gives 600 Nm from low revs and is superb for towing, but it has three known factory weaknesses. The Bosch CP4 fuel pump can start generating metal particles that travel through the whole fuel system, block the injectors and destroy the engine — there have been widespread recalls and this must be checked by VIN. The EGR cooler cracks internally and coolant enters the cylinders unseen. And the particulate filter clogs quickly on short urban journeys; this engine was made for long distances and towing.

Mojave is a trim Europe never saw at all. It is the first Desert Rated Jeep — built for driving fast across desert and dunes rather than crawling over rocks. The two top trims solve different problems. Rubicon is Rock-Trac with a 4:1 ratio, two mechanical lockers and an electronically disconnecting front bar: slow and technical. Mojave is Command-Trac at 2.72:1, one rear locker only, but a fixed bar, a reinforced frame and Fox 2.5-inch bypass dampers with external reservoirs. Over fast broken ground the Mojave is in another league. Europe was offered only Overland and Rubicon.

Three practical differences. Towing: American cars with the Max Tow package pull up to 3400 to 3650 kg, while the European limit is around 2720 — and because of N1 commercial homologation the European car also has different rear spring and damper settings. The radio: an American set tunes only odd frequencies — 90.1, 90.3, 90.5 — with no DAB and no European maps in the navigation. And the bumper: the European front bumper is thicker and meets the wing flare flush for pedestrian safety, while the American one leaves a large gap.