Jeep on Monday unveiled a concept based on the Gladiator pickup truck, which the automaker said is ideal for serious fans of mountain biking.
We could imagine it being ideal for more activities than just mountain biking though, thanks to its enhanced off-road capability and accessories designed to keep you comfortable out in the wild.
The concept is called the Gladiator Top Dog, and it sports several accessories from the Jeep Performance Parts catalog, as well as some custom items. The highlight is the custom storage system up back, which has replaced the Gladiator's standard cargo box. On one side are drawers to hold all the necessary tools for mountain biking and on the other is a refrigerator and grille.
Above the storage system are racks to hold a pair of mountain bikes, while above the cabin is another set of racks to hold additional cargo. A foldable ladder makes accessing items on the racks easy. The concept also features rock rails, winches, a snorkel, and off-road lights. The front winch has 8,000 pounds of capacity and 100 feet of Spydura synthetic rope.
Jeep Gladiator Top Dog Concept
To help carry the vehicle safely over rough terrain is a 2-inch lift kit with Fox shocks, and 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels with 37-inch BF Goodrich KM3 mud-terrain tires.
The chosen powertrain is the Gladiator's 3.6-liter V-6, rated at 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. It's mated to an 8-speed automatic and powers all four wheels.
This is actually the second Gladiator concept Jeep has rolled out to demonstrate the potential of the pickup truck among the lifestyle crowd. In August we saw the Gladiator Farout Concept which was designed specifically for overlanding.
Both concepts were set to be unveiled at the 2020 SEMA show originally scheduled for this week in Las Vegas but ultimately canceled due to Covid-19 coronavirus disruptions. To learn about some of the other vehicles planned for the show, head to our dedicated hub.
