You Like the Gladiator? Jeep Isn’t Done Tweaking It Yet. Meet HERCULES!

AbleGuy

Officious Intermeddler
I couldn’t find anything here on this forum about this proposed model of the a Gladiator. Have any of you read anything about it?


Here’s what I did find today online:
2021 Jeep Gladiator Hercules: Specs, Price And Release Date


“The brand-new Gladiator came a year ago and the company is already working on upgrades. The standard model is already a pretty capable off-roader, but it looks like we are about to see something new, something on a completely new level of capabilities. The performance version will come as the 2021 Jeep Gladiator Hercules and it with loads of upgrades over the standard model. The latest reports suggest a brand-new engine among other novelties. Also, we are about to see upgrades in terms of mechanics, new styling details and more.”

“The testing model has been spotted on the road, but it still wears a lot of camouflage, so we can’t talk about details at the moment. Still, we can rely on many reports that circulate on the internet and also make some of our own predictions. In any case, the new model is expected to come as the 2021 Jeep Gladiator Hercules, probably sometime in the next year.”


A714B084-937B-4279-BAFD-C4C850E4F399.jpeg

2021 Jeep Gladiator Hercules Engine

“When the new Gladiator came last year, the biggest disappointment was the engine. Under the hood of this truck, you can find a good old Pentastar V6, which doesn’t deliver the level of dynamics you would want from a vehicle with such off-roading potential. Also, there is a new turbo-four, which is slightly better, but still far away from desired performances.

Therefore, FCA is working on a brand-new engine, according to the latest reports. Instead of relying on some of the familiar V8 units, the 2021 Jeep Gladiator Hercules will rather come with a new, turbo inline-six engine under the hood. According to the latest reports, the new engine will be good for about 525 horsepower, which promises spectacular performances. For comparison, the most off-road capable truck on the current market, the F-150 Raptor, is rated at 450 horsepower but keep in mind that the Gladiator is notably smaller.”


Mechanical Upgrades

“Of course, the engine won’t be the only upgrade on this version. The 2021 Jeep Gladiator Hercules will be something completely new, with unparalleled off-road performances. The current model is already pretty capable, especially the Rubicon version. This trim level comes with various off-road features, including things like front and rear locking differentials, a sway bar, rock rails, and a brush guard. It also comes with 33-inch tires and unique rims.

The 2021 Jeep Gladiator Hercules will go much further than that. We count on additional off-road features....”

(Article continues at the linked storyline above)
 

98xjaz

New member
Imagine that, a turbo in line 6. Where did they ever get that idea? I wonder if a super engineer came up with it on his own, or someone finally just put the reliability and longevity of an i6 and a turbo (think 2 plus 2 = well over small block V8 torque) together. There is a reason the vast majority of production motors still ticking over 300k miles are inline six and a majority of those are turbocharged as well. Never mind that 99.9 percent of freight delivered over the highways in this country is pulled by an in line 6 turbocharged motor. Fuel type is almost irrelevant.
Just one man's opinion that they haven't done this on a large scale in the past because they know that they are shooting themselves in the foot for selling joe public a new car every 4 years or less.
Sure, Dodge did it with 3/4 and 1 ton diesel trucks but those motors are HEAVY and in the first or second or third generations they didn't bother to develop a new transmission that really made it shine.
Maybe they will get it right this time.......nahhh. They will still try to sell you a better one next year.
 

shade

Well-known member
“When the new Gladiator came last year, the biggest disappointment was the engine. Under the hood of this truck, you can find a good old Pentastar V6, which doesn’t deliver the level of dynamics you would want from a vehicle with such off-roading potential. Also, there is a new turbo-four, which is slightly better, but still far away from desired performances."

I think it's funny that the desire for more power is chalked up to "the level of dynamics you would want from a vehicle with such off-roading potential." I can see why someone may want more power, but I'm sure the current engines do just fine off-road. If the Hercules is released, they'll sell well. Who wants a plain ol' Rubicon when you can join the Easter Jeep Safari parade in a Herc?
 

AbleGuy

Officious Intermeddler
Imagine that, a turbo in line 6. Where did they ever get that idea? I wonder if a super engineer came up with it on his own, or someone finally just put the reliability and longevity of an i6 and a turbo (think 2 plus 2 = well over small block V8 torque) together. There is a reason the vast majority of production motors still ticking over 300k miles are inline six and a majority of those are turbocharged as well. Never mind that 99.9 percent of freight delivered over the highways in this country is pulled by an in line 6 turbocharged motor. Fuel type is almost irrelevant......

Yah, even Chevy/GMC saw the light and was going to try to get in on this trend, for its half ton trucks
Per that article......“Starting in early 2019, a new 3.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-six will be available.”

Don’t know what happened to it in 2019 as it was “postponed,” supposedly due to certification issues, but they are currently announcing that the updates to the 2020 Silverado and Sierra half-tons will include the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel engine option. ”The 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel engine will become available for the 2020 model year.”

FWIW, Here’s a review of it:
 
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docwatson

Adventurer
Strange, they almost doubled the horsepower but left the same puny exhaust? Granted they could be testing some other aspect but that seems strange to me. The current head of Jeep I believe was formerly head of SRT so it would make sense to head this way.

Why does this story with spy shots not include "I rolled down my window and noticed the obvious difference between the 3.6l pentastar and 525hp turbocharged inline 6"?
 

Charles R

Adventurer
Frankly I think it's a misspoke statement on the inline engine. Later in the article they also state the diesel option as an inline 6, and everyone already knows the 3.0L eco-diesel is a V6.
 

docwatson

Adventurer
FCA has been developing an inline six. Maybe for Maserati or maybe for Jeep. I haven't seen any solid information either way but engineers from FCA are putting the development on their resumes according to Allpar.

allpar.com/mopar/V6/tornado.html
 

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