Jeep Shifts Gears: Hybrid Gladiator Scrapped for a 6.4-Liter V8
In an era where most automakers chase electrification, Jeep has chosen a defiant detour. Plans for a hybrid Gladiator have been quietly shelved, and in its place comes something far more primal: a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 destined to turn the rugged pickup into a full-blown muscle truck.
Just a year ago Jeep was touting a plug-in Gladiator powered by a 2.0-liter turbo paired with electric assist. But market reality proved unforgiving. Demand for plug-in hybrid pickups simply wasn’t strong enough to justify production. So Jeep has reversed course and instead decided to double down on displacement and character.
The result will be the Gladiator Rubicon 392, following the precedent set by the Wrangler Rubicon 392. The “392” badge, a nod to the engine’s cubic-inch displacement, might read like a code, but the translation is clear: raw power and unfiltered noise. With 477 horsepower underfoot, this is no eco-conscious compromise but a statement of intent.
Jeep’s leadership has not been coy about its ambitions. Last summer the brand confirmed that V8 engines are here to stay, with more to come. Whispers inside the industry even suggest a revival of the performance-oriented SRT division, which could pave the way for even wilder eight-cylinder variants in the future.
While the broader industry pushes ever harder toward hybrids and EVs, Jeep is carving its own niche, positioning the Gladiator Rubicon 392 as a rebellious riposte to green orthodoxy. It is proof that the growl of gasoline and the thirst for brute force are not relics yet — at least not in Jeep’s world.
