Why a Jeep Gladiator diesel won’t come to Australia

Jeep Gladiator fans holding out for a diesel-powered option – instead of the V6 petrol – appear to be out of luck.

An announcement from Jeep in the United States has detailed a final limited-run of final diesel-powered Gladiators called FarOut.

Joining a limited run of diesel-powered Wranglers with the same name, the Gladiator FarOut will be limited to 1000 vehicles and will be the the last opportunity for Americans to buy a diesel powered Gladiator.

It also represents Jeep’s final examples of diesel powered vehicles, as the off-road brand looks towards petrol, hybrid and electric power for future models.

The Gladiator’s 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel V6 – which has Italian origins from the engine-building firm VM Motori design – was used most notably in the WK Jeep Grand Cherokee in Australia, as well as the Ram 1500 (for a short period of time) and a handful of Maserati vehicles.

When used in the Gladiator, this engine made 194kW and 600Nm and ran through an eight-speed automatic transmission. For reference, this is more power and an equal amount of torque than the 2023 Drive Car of the Year, the Ford Ranger with its own diesel V6.

In Australia, the Jeep Gladiator four-wheel-drive ute has only been available with a naturally aspirated 3.6-litre petrol V6, which put it at odds with the broader ute range. It makes 209kW and 347Nm, running through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Jeep Wrangler was available with diesel power for a brief period in Australia until 2020, while the larger Jeep Grand Cherokee is exclusively powered by a 3.6-litre petrol V6 for Australian markets.

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