Any manufacturer who calls a car a Gladiator is not marketing a vehicle to those who only want a runaround to pick up a few bits from the supermarket or take Colin the cat to the vet for his injections.
A name like that, with all its classical, pugilistic overtones, is designed to appeal to those after a rock-hard ride that will instill confidence in driver and passengers alike when travelling on surfaces rougher than a manicured tarmac.
And so it is with this Jeep creation that has been given this Russell Crowe-esque moniker. From the sturdy exterior to the very real sense inside the cabin that you’re as close to the elements as you can be (without actually being shoved headfirst into the dirt), the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, to give it its official title, is all about the drama.
Pick-up trucks were synonymous with comfort-free travel once upon a time, but this is no longer the case. Most, in fact, have been sanitised to within an inch of their lives (no issues with that – it’s called progress and we should all embrace it).
Jeep, though, is aiming to pair a sense of old-school rough and tumble with up-to-date technology in the new Gladiator.
Yes, it is comfortable, and, yes, it comes with an array of the most modern kit, but this is a genuinely exciting vehicle to zip around in, particularly on more testing surfaces. The manufacturer is keen to emphasise its new creation as a “fun-to-drive, multi-purpose vehicle delivering legendary off-road ability”.
Looks-wise, you won’t be mistaking the Gladiator for a Renault Twizy either. Sturdy and angular, it looks the part of a classic off-roader. The design is recognisable as a Jeep, though, with styling cues that include a keystone-shaped grille, round headlamps and distinctly angled wheel arches.
The Gladiator is powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine, which will pump out 285 horsepower. It has Jeep’s Rock Trac 4x4 system and cameras placed all around to keep you in control uphill and down dale. And, should you wish to do so, you can, of course, remove a significant quantity of the Gladiator’s outer skin to get as close to the great outdoors as you want to be.
Back to that kit again. The obligatory touchscreen sitting amid the leather seating and clearly laid out dashboard is a Uconnect 8.4-inch affair, and driver aids include blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warnings and active braking, should the need arise.
The launch edition tested here will cost you Dh265,000, but buyers can select any one or more of 150 customisation options. Gladiators are US built, coming as they do from Toledo, Ohio, and, aside from the Rubicon, you could also go for Sport and Overland trim levels in Middle East showrooms.
Buy one and you’ll be opting for plenty of that drama we were talking about earlier on, maybe as much as a whole season of productions at Dubai Opera, in fact.
You could go dressed as you would for such an occasion in this subtly suave beast too, because rough and tumble in this instance doesn’t mean an upsetting experience for those inside.
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The five pillars of Islam
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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%3Cp%3ECelebrated%20on%20October%2016%2C%20to%20coincide%20with%20the%20founding%20date%20of%20the%20United%20Nations%20Food%20and%20Agriculture%20Organisation%2C%20World%20Food%20Day%20aims%20to%20tackle%20issues%20such%20as%20hunger%2C%20food%20security%2C%20food%20waste%20and%20the%20environmental%20impact%20of%20food%20production.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 3
Fleck 19, Mousset 52, McBurnie 90
Manchester United 3
Williams 72, Greenwood 77, Rashford 79
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The years Ramadan fell in May
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
