- Jeep has a Wrangler-like model that is ‘getting the manual back’, and it could be the Gladiator.
- The automaker discontinued the transmission option on the truck for the 2025 model year.
- Jeep said at the time that most Gladiator buyers chose the automatic transmission.
Less than two years have passed since Jeep killed off the manual-equipped Gladiator. At the time, the automaker said most Gladiator buyers opted for automatic transmissions, and that wasn’t a surprise. Manual transmissions are not popular, but now it seems that the car manufacturer is reconsidering its decision.
In an interview with Car BuzzAamir Ahmed, Jeep’s global head of off-road and EV, said, “We have another car that looks like the Wrangler getting the manual back. Stay tuned.” While he didn’t specifically mention the Gladiator, we doubt Ahmed was talking about the new electric Recon.
Jeep stopped offering a six-speed manual transmission in the Gladiator for the 2025 model year. The company said the eight-speed automatic transmission maximized “the best-in-class V6 towing and payload capabilities demanded by our midsize truck customers,” and the company dropped the option. Jeep still offers a manual-equipped Wrangler.
The automaker never revealed acceptance rates for the manual-equipped Gladiator, but we expect it to be quite low. In the United States, less than 1.0 percent of new car sales are manual transmission models, and their popularity is declining in Europe.
Motorcycle Pickup1: Jeep’s decision to bring back the manual transmission-equipped Gladiator seems like a big move with very little benefit. The truck’s starting price only increases by $200 between 2024 and 2025, so adding back the manual likely won’t reduce the price significantly, unless Jeep plans other cost-saving measures.
