By The Gladiator has been introduced recently and now it’s time for expansion. We are about to see all kinds of upgraded versions and among them, there is the 2020 Jeep Gladiator XMT, a military-spec concept that brings things to a completely new level. At this point, it is still in the form of concept, but if the U.S. Army is willing to make orders, production would start by the end of the next year.
The concept version shows a lot of interesting design solutions, which make this truck highly capable for off-road drive, although we have to say that the base Gladiator is already an excellent off-roader. There is a new suspension setup, new wheels, new sheet metal and many more things. We also expect novelties under the hood, although details are still unavailable.
2020 Jeep Gladiator XMT Design
The company that stands behind this project is called AM General, a well-known name in the business, which is responsible for turning Humvee into a road-legal Hummer. This time, things went in the opposite direction, as the civilian vehicle is modified for the army.
Specs
There have been a lot of modifications to the concept version. The first thing you’ll notice is completely new sheet metal. We don’t have details, but we may presume that some kind of military-grade aluminum has been used, while chassis reinforcements have been made as well. By looking from the outside, you may notice pretty much the same Gladiator look. The overall styling is largely the same and also includes removable doors and roof. Of course, the truck can be modified depending on specific requirements, so there are even things like armor, central tire inflation system, troop rollover protection system etc.
Compared to the civilian model, there are some obvious differences. One of the first things that come to mind is wheels design. There are new, much bigger wheels, equipped with huge BFGoodrich tires. Also, there are typical off-road features like 4×4 system, tow hooks, locking differentials, skid plates etc.
It is also important to mention that the new model features a higher ground clearance, thanks to new suspension setup. Also, bumpers feature a little bit different designs. In practice, this provides an impressive 54-degree approach angle. Departure angle is also pretty amazing and goes around 30 degrees.
2020 Jeep Gladiator XMT Under the Hood
Another thing that bothers us is the powertrain. At this point, details are unavailable but it looks like the new 2020 Jeep Gladiator XMT military-spec version will rely on FCA’s engines. Most likely, base models will feature the upcoming six-cylinder turbodiesel, which could be a little bit modified for this occasion. Also, some reports are suggesting a possibility to see a new turbo V-6 gasoline engine in the offer. This version would feature a max output of over 500 horsepower.
2020 Jeep Gladiator XMT Launch Date
The 2020 Jeep Gladiator XMT will be production-ready by the end of the next year. However, it is still unclear whether the U.S. Army is willing to buy these or not. If this happens, we could expect to see modified, civilian versions of the 2020 Jeep Gladiator XMT in the offer as well. That would be very interesting to see.
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