2018 saw the highly anticipated launch of the Jeep Gladiator, the brand’s first pickup model in almost 25 years, by then-owner Fiat Chrysler. Initially, it appeared as though it may live up to the hype.
Despite production problems brought on by the pandemic, sales of the product increased in 2020 after it was introduced in 2019, hitting around 90,000 in the US and making it one of the few winners of that difficult year.
However, the triumph was fleeting.
Fiat Chrysler started concentrating on higher-priced, higher-margin vehicles after merging with PSA Group in early 2021 to form Stellantis. The business used limited quantities of parts, like computer chips, to construct the most expensive models of its cars. Many conventional Jeep and other Fiat Chrysler customers were left behind.
