![\"With](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/04\/01\/PDTN\/88da0e93-94a2-411e-9985-01a4b2278d32-jeep_rubicon-mud.JPG?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp\")
<\/p>\n<\/div>With locking front and rear differentials and detachable swaybars, the 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon can go just about anywhere.\u00a0(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The fully armored Jeep Gladiator pickup truck has stepped into the Colosseum, and it\u2019s ready to rumble.<\/p>\n If you Google \u201cGladiator,\u201d\u00a0the Jeep pickup and\u00a0the Russell Crowe\u00a0movie from 2000\u00a0 dominate the results. That\u2019s appropriate.<\/p>\n Both were wildly anticipated blockbusters from charismatic directors (Ridley Scott and Sergio Marchionne). Both feature buff, rugged stars (Crowe, Rubicon Jeep trim). And both lead characters are real softies inside.<\/p>\n Before we ogle the Gladiator\u2019s impressive biceps, pecs\u00a0and glutes, behold the interior of this off-road general. Jeep\u2019s pickup is based on another legendary warrior, the Jeep Wrangler. Tough enough to plow through walls, the World War II forged Wrangler has always had swagger, but owners had to suffer its spartan interior. This was a vehicle that was born to carry\u00a0a rear-seat machine gun after all.<\/p>\n That all changed last year with the fourth-gen Wrangler.<\/p>\n Credit interior designer Chris Benjamin. He arrived at Jeep after years building European luxury suites for BMW, Mercedes\u00a0and Volvo. His team understands that Jeep is the rare brand that hangs out at the intersection of Rodeo Drive and Main Street with appeal to luxury and mainstream buyers alike.<\/p>\n Jumping into the 21st century with all four tires, the Wrangler gained interior quiet, rear-seat heating and air-conditioning controls, and state-of-the-art electronics while maintaining signature touches like dashboard \u201coh-crap-we\u2019re-going-over-a-20-degree-rocky-incline!\u201d handle and door nets.<\/p>\n The Gladiator inherits all that and more. This is the Wrangler with a truck bed that enthusiasts have been pining for.<\/p>\n It touts the best interior in a segment where interiors have been an afterthought.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a truck, it gets dirty,\u201d has been the stock line for midsize pickup interiors.\u00a0Sure, class leaders like Toyota, Chevy and Ford have introduced modern trucks with high-fidelity infotainment systems and digital dials, but they\u2019ve been surrounded by acres of uninspired plastic (the exception to the rule is Honda\u2019s unibody-based Ridgeline).<\/p>\n The Jeep makes\u00a0budget with plastic materials, too, but they blend in with careful details like aviator vents, metal-plated bezels\u00a0and meaty dials. This is an interior you\u2019ll enjoy riding in\u00a0every day.<\/p>\n Behind the captain\u2019s quarters the ship gets really interesting. Gladiator remakes the Wrangler aft of the B-pillar. The wheelbase gets stretched to a nearly\u00a0Ram 1500-like 137 inches to accommodate the biggest back seat in segment. The 60-inch steel bed sports easy access and a two-step tailgate drop. The rear axles are pushed back to allow a 25-inch departure angle so I didn\u2019t drag the tailgate down off-road inclines. Which is where Jeeps are happiest.<\/p>\n My 6-foot-5 basketball player\u2019s frame had more room in the back seat than in Delta first class. That seat is a skybox for the Gladiator\u2019s off-road games like my foray into the wilds east of Sacramento. Normal-size humans will appreciate the assist from door-mounted grab handles, since the Gladiator rises nearly a foot off the ground.<\/p>\n Despite its size, the pickup loses none of the Wrangler\u2019s capability or open-air attributes \u2014 which women dig as much as guys.<\/p>\n A female friend recently bought a Grand Cherokee SUV and was instantly the star of the playground set.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mom got a Jeep!\u201d her kids sang as they piled out of the four-door ute at school.\u00a0If Mom buys a Gladiator, she\u2019ll be over-run by playground\u00a0paparazzi. And she won\u2019t lose any utility, as the pickup\u2019s back seat is as big as the Grand Cherokee.<\/p>\n \u201cWant it,\u201d was all an outdoorsy pal responded when I posted Instagram pictures of the Gladiator devouring a mud-choked California off-road trail in the pouring rain.<\/p>\n Jeep has more brand equity than anything this side of Nike, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles milks\u00a0it for all it\u2019s worth. Loaded with mud-caked swagger, the Gladiator is pricey compared to comparable midsize competitors.<\/p>\n The base Gladiator Sport begins at a lofty $35,040.<\/p>\n Armed with a big\u00a0seven-slot grille (for heavier breathing during towing and payload duties), the pickup comes with signature plastic fenders, removable roof and doors, double cab, 32-inch tires\u00a0and a 4×4 system that can climb Mount Rushmore (which should make the family vacation interesting).<\/p>\n