Rumors of a potential plug-in hybrid variant of the Ford Bronco have swirled for years, and that fire was only fueled further when Ford Authority spotted The Blue Oval benchmarking a Jeep Wrangler 4xe PHEV earlier this year. In addition to that, the 2025 Ford Ranger – which shares a platform and powertrains with the Bronco – will also add a PHEV option in select global markets, which could include the U.S., at least according to one report, and the entire Ford Blue lineup is set to gain a hybrid option of some sort by 2030 as well. In the meantime, years after a Ford Bronco pickup was reportedly shelved, the Wrangler’s pickup variant – the Jeep Gladiator – will gain a plug–in hybrid option for 2025 just like the Ranger, according to Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa.
After discussing the addition of a pink hue to the Jeep Gladiator lineup in this recent LinkedIn post, Filosa added a very interesting tidbit about an even bigger update coming for the mid-size pickup. “Next year, we’ll extend that freedom of choice even further with a Gladiator 4xe option (colors to be announced) that will join the No. 1 and No. 2 best-selling plug-in hybrids in the U.S, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe and the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe.”
While this is a natural fit for the Jeep Gladiator given the fact that the Wrangler 4xe has been around for years now, it’s still big news, especially given the fact that the Gladiator just received a mid-cycle refresh for the 2024 model year. Aside from some minor styling updates and other minor changes, the 2024 Jeep Gladiator dropped its diesel engine option – leaving only the 3.6L V6 – but now, that won’t be the case much longer.
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Comments
392 for one year would have been nice
Dad said get off his computer and put it back in the bathroom.
Or just as an option in general.
Ford is leaving money on the table by not offering a PHEV Ranger. Maverick is too small and cheap, but Ranger isn’t. You’ve got Taco trucks going in the $60Ks, I think the market can handle the cost of a PHEV Ranger.
It wouldn’t hurt to offer more bodystyle choices as well, at least a long bed for crying out loud.
The Gladiator is too cumbersome and has too many compromises. That said, it’s one of those products I’m very glad exists, and it’d be my go to for a US Stellantis product, now that the 300 V-8 is dead.
The Ranger PHEV with AWD and power on board would be very well accepted in the US market, hopefully a deliverable by Q’ 1′ 25. Too bad that the Edge wasn’t included in the Hybrid transition for popular F vehicles.
So the entire Ford Blue lineup will gain a hybrid option by 2030…?
Including the Mach E?
Ranger is a really poorly places product if we are being honest. It’s kind of too small, but any larger and it’d be stepping on f150 turf. The 4 cylinder only powertrain doesn’t cut the mustard for a lot of people, but apparently was ahead of its time for the segment. I know you can get the v6 in the raptor, but not putting it in normal trucks is silly, there’s a lot of buyers who would pay for more power but don’t want some mini brodozer.
Ultimately I think ranger is just one of those products destined to fail. It can’t get bigger or more expensive because it’s already too close in price to f150. They don’t want it to get too capable or f150 suffers. F150 is, for better or worse, the step up product in every way.
Jeep gladiator doesn’t have a step up product to worry about. Tacoma is the priority over tundra. Frontier just exists. Colorado/Canyon are solid efforts, and probably the best in the segment, but Tacoma will handily trounce it.