Jeep Gladiator Farout Concept Is the Diesel Overlander We Need to Escape Civilization
Taking everything you’d need to camp further out in the wilderness is the best use we can think of for the Gladiator’s new diesel engine.
Jeep's new Farout concept is the Gladiator we've always been wanted: a 4x4, overland-ready machine with diesel power, a full-size custom roof tent, a two-inch lift and meaty 37-inch tires. (Take that, stock Bronco 35s!)
The Jeep Gladiator gets that 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 starting in 2021, and every off-road nerd worth their pricey Rotopax knows that better fuel economy isn't just for hypermiling. Jeep's overland build is one way they're touting the ability of the EcoDiesel-powered Gladiator to stretch the contents of its fuel tank farther, and dammit if this marketing stunt doesn't work.
Jeep's claiming that the new diesel Gladiator will get 28 mpg on the highway, which makes us naturally curious how the fuel economy will be crawling as far off the highway as possible. At 226 horsepower and (more importantly) 442 pound-feet of torque, I will selflessly volunteer as a guinea pig to help figure this out.
Jeep is well-known for giving the people what we want in the form of concepts of at the Moab Easter Jeep Safari, but alas, that didn't happen this year for the obvious reason we're all tired of talking about. So, the company rolled out the Farout concept now, which takes its inspiration from 2019's popular Wayout concept, which was another Gladiator overland build, complete with a roof tent and a custom rack to support it.
An ongoing global pandemic is the best time to stay the hell away from civilization, though, and the Farout's custom tent makes that a bit more comfortable. It's mounted to the Jeep's integrated roof rack system, is 16-feet long and 7.5-feet tall, sleeps four and unfolds in seconds.
The Farout adds another trick up its sleeve this year, too: a bed cap. While Jeep doesn't have any photos of the Farout's inside, its press release describes a warm wood-lined interior with soft ambient lighting that bucks the "utilitarian everything" feel of most overland rigs. Under the cap, there's a refrigerator and stove along with hanging storage racks, and built-in seats and table space. Inside the cab, you'll find dark smoke blue leather with plaid flannel seat inserts and orange accent stitching.
On the outside, the Farout wears a new "Earl" grey paint color with chartreuse accents. The two-inch lift comes courtesy of a Jeep Performance Parts kit complete with Fox performance shocks. Those 37-inch mud-terrain tires are mounted to 17-inch matte charcoal rims. There's also a 12,000-pound Warn winch on the modified Gladiator Rubicon steel bumper along with custom front and rear rock rails.
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