Jeep’s New Gladiator Wants to Conquer the Pickup Truck Market

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 28: The new Jeep Gladiator truck is shown during the auto trade show, AutoMobility LA, at the Los Angeles Convention Center on November 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. More than 50 vehicles will debut during AutoMobility LA, which precedes the LA Auto Show, open to the public December 1 through 10. Photo by David McNew/Getty Images

Americans bought 524,000 small, starter pickup trucks last year—about 1,400 a day—but not one of them had removable doors.

In a few weeks, that small but noteworthy gap in the market will be filled by the Jeep Gladiator, an all-new rig that represents Fiat-Chrysler’s initial bid to buccaneer its way back into one of the industry’s hottest segments.