- Sales of the Gladiator in the US peaked at just under 90,000 units in 2021.
- Stellantis recently cut production of the pickup from two shifts to just one.
- High prices likely put the Jeep out of the budget of many truck buyers.
The Jeep Gladiator was an instant hit when it launched. Hitting the market with all the same off-roading abilities as the iconic Wrangler but in an even more practical body style, it quickly won fans and sold well. However, sales have declined over the past couple of years, prompting Stellantis to slash over 1,100 jobs at the Gladiator plant.
In 2021, Jeep Gladiator sales in the US peaked at just under 90,000 units and it also sold well in 2020 and 2022. But, sales plunged to 55,188 in 2023 and through September this year, just 32,670 found homes across the country. This decline could be attributed to several factors.
Read: Stellantis To Cut Over 1,100 Jobs In Toledo, Slashing Gladiator Production
Jeep has been slow to introduce a 4xe plug-in hybrid variant of the truck and won’t do so until next year. The 4xe version of the Wrangler has proven to be a hit since its launch in 2021 and the Jeep brand is first in the US for sales of PHEVs. President of the UAW Local 12 union representing workers at the Toledo Assembly Complex which builds the Gladiator, Bruce Baumhower, is frustrated the Gladiator 4xe wasn’t launched sooner but is confident it will boost sales.
“If we can get that hybrid, that’ll put some juice in that vehicle,” he told Auto News. According to Cox Automotive senior editor Matt Degen, it’s also possible that most consumers who wanted a Gladiator have already purchased one, explaining why sales have declined. Some shoppers may have also been priced out of the market. For example, the Gladiator starts at $39,995 whereas prices for the Toyota Tacoma, the Gladiator’s key rival, kick off from $31,500.
“That happens with those niche cars — PT Cruiser, New Beetle, Gladiator — where the fans get it and then after that, the regular person who doesn’t care about the Jeep name looks at it and says … ‘What am I paying for exactly?’” added Autotrader editor Brian Moody. “Jeep people know what they’re paying for and they’re happy to do it, but that’s just not everybody.”
Declining demand for the Gladiator has already resulted in significant layoffs. Earlier this month, it was revealed that 1,139 workers at the Jeep plant in Toledo would be indefinitely laid off as soon as January 5. Jeep is cutting production of the pickup from two shifts to just one. The United Auto Workers union has expressed fierce opposition to these cuts – and others – recently made by Stellantis, The Detroit News reports.
“These indefinite layoffs are unacceptable, and we will do everything in our power to fight them where they violate our contract,” the union said in a recent letter. “We are also taking action to make sure jobs stop leaving the country under broken federal trade agreements, and we are going to have to fight on multiple fronts to save this company from itself.”
