Early 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon Diesel Prototype Spied in the Wild

This prototype has many off-road scars.

2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon diesel prototype ecodiesel
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon diesel prototype (photo: Eric M.)

Jeep plans to introduce the 2020 Jeep Gladiator diesel in early 2020, and here is an early diesel truck prototype caught testing in the wild.

All images you see here are provided courtesy of Eric M. Thank you Eric.

2020 Jeep Gladiator Diesel

Jeep has already announced the unique power rating for their version of the new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 at 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. The turbo-diesel will be solely matched to an updated 8-speed automatic transmission.

We now know a lot more about the 3rd-generation EcoDiesel V6 after driving it in the 2020 Ram 1500 and 2020 Ram Rebel. Ram and FCA say that the latest generation of the engine is about 80% new. It has a redesigned turbocharger, cylinder heads, pistons, and a low pressure exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) among other changes.

In the Ram half-ton trucks, the engine produces more torque. The Ram 1500 version is rated at 480 lb-ft of torque. The engine offers maximum torque at a low 1,600 rpm. The Ram truck has two sizes for the DEF tanks, but both are very close to five gallons of volume.

The Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler have a smaller footprint than a Ram 1500 truck, so we will have to wait and see exactly how much fuel and DEF capacity the Jeeps will have.

While a 2020 Ram Rebel Diesel is out there, the Jeep Gladiator Diesel will offer another option for off-road enthusiasts who are looking for extended off-road driving range but in a slightly smaller package.

Here is our first look at a 2020 Ram Rebel EcoDiesel.