The king is tossing his crown.
Jeep is pulling the plug on EcoDiesel which means it will no longer be the dominant leader in torque among midsize pickups.
That can mean different things to different people depending on what you’re looking for. Having less torque essentially means having less initial power off the line. More on that below.
Once king of the mountain with 442 lb.-ft. torque, Gladiator will fall hard to 260 lb.-ft. with its 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. It’s not like shrinking from Hulk Hogan to Pee Wee Herman but still…it’s a disappointment.
Gladiator’s diesel retirement paves the way for Ford Ranger Raptor and Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison to claim the top spot in torque with 430 lb.-ft. each.
Yes, you heard that right. We have a tie. And in the world of cars and trucks, tie scores aren’t a thing. There’s number one and whatever else.
And to that end Ranger Raptor has the advantage thanks to its gas fueled, twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 which not only squeezes out 430 lb.-ft. torque but also offers 405 horsepower.
The ZR2 Bison gets its gusto from a high-output diesel-powered 2.7-liter diesel which cranks out 310 horses. Gladiator’s EcoDiesel produces 260 horses. Yes, that’s far less but horsepower isn’t everything—or is it?
Depends on what you’re looking for.
“Well, if you just want to go fast and hit 140 mph, then horsepower would be more effective for you,” kbb.com reporter Austin Morris writes. “However, if you want a strong car that can pull boulders and take off quickly, a high torque might be more important to you. In short, torque makes your vehicle quick. Horsepower makes it fast.”
If you’re into quarter-mile drags, horsepower will ultimately win the day. If it’s trail climbing and quicker pulling power you need—and pickups do fall into that category though most arguably aren’t used in that way—then you’d be better off with higher torque. Diesel-produced torque offers greater fuel efficiency over gas.
Max towing among these midsize torque titans is interesting. Ranger Raptor tops out at 5,510 lbs.; ZR2 Bison at 6,000 lbs.; and the EcoDiesel Gladiator at 6,500 lbs.
Introduced for the 2021 model year, the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon EcoDiesel paired up to a TorqueFlite 8HP75 eight-speed automatic transmission.offers up to 500 miles of driving range.
If you’re so moved you can still snatch one up but you better move fast. Jeep announced that its new 2023 Rubicon FarOut edition will be its last EcoDiesel truck.
Jeep Gladiator Rubicon FarOut edition features front and rear third-generation Dana 44 heavy-duty axles, a 3.73 axle ratio and the Rock-Trac two-speed transfer case with a 4.0:1 low-range gear ratio
Based on Gladiator Rubicon, Gladiator Rubicon FarOut edition comes with commemorative “Diesel 3.0L” hood graphic, exclusive tailgate badging, 17-inch low-gloss black polished aluminum wheels, 33-inch mud-terrain tires, steel front bumper and more.
Production will be limited to 1,000 vehicles for the 2023 model year. Orders will be taken through the end of September with deliveries beginning in the third quarter of 2023. MSRP comes in at $69,995 (excluding $1,795 destination).
The following equipment is standard on the limited-edition FarOut Gladiator:
- “Diesel 3.0L” hood graphic
- Exclusive “3.0 D” tailgate badge
- “FarOut” tailgate badge
- Black fender decals
- 17-inch low-gloss black polished aluminum wheels
- 33-inch mud-terrain tires
- Steel front bumper
- Body-color fender flares
- Satin black grille
- Mopar spray-in bedliner
- LED Lighting Group
- Black leather seats with red accents
- Black leather-wrapped dash panels with red accent stitching
- Cold Weather Group
- Trailer-Tow and Heavy-Duty Electrical Group
- Safety Group
- All-weather floor mats
