The pickup truck market represents a true gold mine for the American automotive industry, but it is dominated by an oligopoly of well-established manufacturers. In the full-size segment, the throne firmly belongs to the Ford F-Series dynasty, with GM (fielding the Silverado and Sierra duo) and Ram completing an all-American podium. Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan, despite their efforts, remain secondary players, unable to break this national dominance.
Jeep Gladiator J3000 Heavy Duty imagined based on the Ram
Surprising, however, is the situation in the compact segment, reduced to a duopoly with two contenders at opposite extremes: the refined but low-selling Hyundai Santa Cruz and the commercial phenomenon Ford Maverick, which dominates the sales charts unchallenged.
The most vibrant arena is the mid-size segment, ruled by the Toyota Tacoma. In this segment, differentiation is the key strategy: Ford Ranger focuses on power with the Raptor version, while Honda Ridgeline distinguishes itself with a unibody construction, unique in the segment.
In this competitive context, Jeep’s strategy with the Gladiator leverages superior off-road credentials, the “open-air” configuration that allows removal of the roof and doors, and continuous range updates. With Stellantis struggling in the US market, new features for the Gladiator include the eye-catching Mojito green color and the special 2025 Big Bear edition, limited to California and its 5,000 lucky buyers despite the name evoking mountain scenery quite different from the Pacific coast.
This excitement around the model has inspired the digital artist known as “jlord8” to completely reimagine the Gladiator concept. His virtual creation abandons the mid-size layout derived from the Wrangler to propose an imposing heavy-duty dually that combines the front of the new Grand Wagoneer with the structure of a Ram Heavy Duty, recalling the historic J series produced between the 1960s and 1980s.
The interpretation has received widespread approval online, with numerous comments suggesting it could potentially be more appealing than the Ram HD itself. Particularly appreciated are the white steel wheels, a nostalgic detail that pays homage to the brand’s heritage and brings to mind the original Jeep Gladiator based on the SJ platform, later renamed Jeep Pickup and J-Series.
