When the Jeep Gladiator received a facelift for the 2025 model year, it lost its manual transmission option. This left the Toyota Tacoma as the only manual pickup truck still sold in the United States. While manual transmissions are no longer a huge seller in the US, Jeep is not ready to let the market slip away completely.
Base Trim Engine
3.6L Pentastar V6 ICE
Base Trim Transmission
TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
Four-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
285 HP @6400 RPM
Base Trim Torque
260 lb.-ft. @ 4400 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
17/22/19 MPG
Infotainment & Features
8 /10
The Wrangler is currently the least expensive way to get a manual in an SUV, and speaking with Jeep at the 60th annual Easter Jeep Safari, CarBuzz learned the company has plans to bring the option back in another off-road model.
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Though he didn’t mention the Gladiator by name, Jeep’s global head of off-road, Aamir Ahmed, said the manual transmission was still very important to the brand. He mentioned how a manual Wrangler has a superb 100:1 crawl ratio when equipped with the 4.88:1 axle ratio, matching the now-discontinued Wrangler 4xe. Ahmed even went so far to say Jeep will bring back the manual transmission in a model that previously offered it. That can only mean one vehicle: Gladiator.
“We have another car that looks like a Wrangler that’s getting its manual back. Stay tuned.”
– Aamir Ahmed, Jeep global head of off-road and EVs.
Why Did The Gladiator Lose Its Manual?
2024 – 2025 Jeep Gladiator exteriorJeep
Chatting with Ahmed and Jeep officials at the Easter Jeep Safari, there were no clear answers as to why the six-speed went away. Jeep never made any official statements in the past, either, but the decision was likely made to simplify production during a model changeover. The manual transmission probably had a low take rate, making it an easy option to cut. Now that the updated 2026 Gladiator has been on sale for a couple model years, Jeep may have the confidence to bring the manual back as a low-volume vehicle.
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It’s also true that things have changed somewhat in the automotive world in the last 12 months or so. Fuel economy and advancements towards electrification aren’t the challenges they were previously. In fact, Stellantis killed all its plug-in hybrids for North America before the Gladiator 4xe had a chance to live.
Jeep Still Loves Manuals
2024 Jeep Gladiator MudJeep
Jeep clearly still has a passion for manual transmissions, even if the public no longer purchases them in large numbers. The American brand showed off a slew of new concept vehicles for the 60th Easter Jeep Safari, including the Wrangler Laredo Concept, which uses a manual transmission. The Laredo is meant to hearken back to simpler Wrangler models like the CJ, most of which were sold with three pedals.
Moreover, listening to Ahmed speak, there’s a clear fondness for having manual control in an off-roading truck like Gladiator. Whether actual off-roaders dive into the mud and rocks with the six-speed is unknown, but there’s no question that die-hard enthusiasts still prefer a full-on, row-your-own gearbox. And as we’re all aware, this is a very vocal minority.
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And it shouldn’t be hard to revive the Gladiator’s manual. The only engine option for the Wrangler-styled pickup truck is the enduring 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 producing 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. This is the same engine that came linked up with the six-speed manual before, and it’s the same one still used in the manual Wrangler today.
When will we see a manual-transmission showdown between the Gladiator and Toyota Tacoma? We don’t have any inkling of a timeframe right now, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it revived for the 2027 model year.
