The Breakdown: Jeep has a Wrangler-like model that is ‘getting its manual back,’ and it’s probably the Gladiator. The automaker discontinued the transmission option in the truck for the 2025 model year. Jeep said at the time that most Gladiator buyers opted for the automatic transmission. It has been less than two years since Jeep killed the manual-equipped Gladiator. At the time, the automaker said most Gladiator buyers opted for the automatic transmission, which wasn’t a surprise. Manual transmissions aren’t popular, but it now appears the automaker is reconsidering its decision. In an interview with CarBuzz, Aamir Ahmed, Jeep’s global head of off-road and EVs, said, "We have another car that looks like a Wrangler that’s getting its manual back. Stay tuned.” While he didn’t specifically mention the Gladiator, we doubt Ahmed was talking about the new electric Recon. Jeep discontinued offering the six-speed manual transmission in the Gladiator for the 2025 model year. The company said that the eight-speed automatic maximized “the best-in-class V6 towing and payload capability demanded by our mid-size truck customers,” and that it was dropping the option. Jeep still offers a manual-equipped Wrangler. The automaker has never disclosed the take rate for the manual-equipped Gladiator, but we expect it to be quite low. In the United States, less than 1.0 percent of new car sales were manual-transmission models, which are even falling out of popularity in Europe. Motor1’s Take: Jeep’s decision to resurrect the manual-equipped Gladiator seems like a big move for very little gain. The truck’s starting price only increased by $200 between 2024 and 2025, so adding the manual back likely won’t reduce the price by a noticeable amount, unless Jeep is planning other cost-saving measures. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team
