Chrysler Group Surprises Detroit Auto Show Attendees with Three New Concepts

Those extremely familiar with the brand will recognize the new concept's name from the full-size pickup model from 1962. Yes,

Those extremely familiar with the brand will recognize the new concept's name from the full-size pickup model from 1962. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada)

you may not remember, or have even known Jeep once made a pickup truck, the last two being the J-series full-size models with the final vehicle in this class being the compact mid-'80s Comanche.

And building a Jeep pickup doesn't only make sense because the brand has a history of producing light trucks, but also because its Dodge cousin already builds two, one of which would make a great donor.

But while the Gladiator looks as if it could be built off of the new Dakota platform, which would give it V6 and V8 power, dynamic handling and serious off-road capabilities, it's not. Instead it rides on a unique body-on-frame architecture, and rather than being powered by one of DaimlerChrysler's gasoline engines, under the hood is the Italian-built 2.8-liter inline four-cylinder turbodiesel that

The famed Jeep brand is under direct threat by the 7-slat grilled monster it created while under AMC rule, Hummer. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

currently motivates the diesel-powered Jeep Liberty CDI. Shifting gears is a 6-speed manual transmission, hooked up to a part-time transfer case. Trail rated? No doubt, the Gladiator looks as if it could climb over anything that dared get in its way.

So why should the Gladiator be important to Jeep to build? For the same reason it needs to produce last year's Rescue concept. The famed brand is under direct threat by the 7-slatgrilled monster it created while under AMC rule, Hummer. The "baddest" SUV nameplate just unveiled its midsize H3, targeting Grand Cherokee customers, while an H3 based pickup truck that showed up in concept form earlier this year is expected shortly thereafter.