The Gladiator Gains Another Trim Level – The Altitude!

Get over $3,000 in parts for $1,595.

Jeep debuted the super-fancy 2021 Wrangler High Altitude and Gladiator High Altitude at this year’s Chicago Auto Show. Both models stepped in at the first-class end of the MSRP food chain thanks to a passel of luxury options and exclusive dark trim. But Jeep has used its less frilly Altitude trim to package popular, urban-focused Mopar accessories and dark trim on the Wrangler since 2012, the option now available on the Sport S and Sahara models. At last, the Gladiator gets its turn in the premium economy Altitude cabin. Mopar Insiders thanks “dealer connections” for news that the lifestyle pickup will gain the new package this year, to be based on the Sport S trim.

Mopar Insiders reports that, to distinguish it from the Overland, the Altitude won’t come with side steps and will wear a standard three-piece hardtop.

The 2020 Jeep Gladiator Altitude sticks to the polished recipe, starting with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and the eight-speed automatic transmission. On top of that come the black three-piece Freedom Hardtop, body-colored fenders, the front bumper with chrome fog light surrounds from the Gladiator Overland, black Jeep and Trail Rated badges, and 18-inch Granite Crystal Aluminum wheels also found on the Gladiator Overland wearing Bridgestone Dueler A/T rubber. In contrast, the High Altitude puts on a catalog of accessories including body-colored bits from front to back, full LED lighting, running boards with integrated step, 20-inch black wheels, and Dueler H/L Alenza tires designed for on-road comfort.

Of note, Jeep has limited the color choices on the Wrangler Altitude editions in the past when body-colored fenders are included, so it’s possible the Gladiator Altitude won’t offer all nine colors when the order books open.

For the Gladiator Altitude interior, there are Wizard Black instrument panel bezels and black accent stitching.

The current Gladiator Sport S can’t be specced with certain items from the Altitude package. When we started with a Gladiator S on the Jeep configurator and chose the closest option suite we could (eight-speed auto, hardtop, body-colored fenders, all-terrain tires), the extras added $3,740 to the price, for a total of $41,980 after the $1,495 destination charge. MI was told the Altitude Package will cost $1,595, for a total of $39,835 after destination, meaning a savings of more than $2,145 when factoring in the exclusive options.