Watch Jeep Wrangler Diesel Drag Race Gladiator, Ram Rebel, And F-250

It's a good time to be a Jeep fan because of the introduction of the Gladiator pickup, and the new 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel expands the powertrain choices for the Wrangler and later for the truck. A new video from The Fast Lane Car puts the oil burner through its paces by challenging the powerplant against some powerful competitors.

Things start easy with the turbodiesel Wrangler lining up against a V6-powered Gladiator. For reference, the diesel-drinking 3.0-liter V6 makes 260 horsepower (194 kilowatts) and 442 pound-feet (600 Newton-meters) of torque, and the gasoline-burning 3.6-liter V6 has 285 hp (213 kW) and 260 lb-ft (353 Nm). With its massive torque advantage, the Wrangler runs away in the drag race, and the Gladiator can do nothing to keep up.

For a harder challenge, a Ram 1500 Rebel with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 rolls up against the turbodiesel Wrangler next. Despite having nearly twice the engine displacement and two more cylinders, the Ram still doesn't have the straight-line performance to beat the Wrangler. There's not much of a gap between them, but the Jeep is clearly ahead.

The turbodiesel's last competitor is a Ford F-250 packing the new 7.3-liter V8 that makes 430 hp (320 kW) and 475 lb-ft (644 Nm). To keep things interesting, we don't want to spoil the results, but the results are so close the first time that The Fast Lane Car runs the drag race a second time.

Judging by this video, the turbodiesel Wrangler is quite a sleeper. Straight-line performance isn't a reason most people buy this boxy SUV, and the new model might surprise unsuspecting folks on the road. Plus, the only easy way to identify the diesel-fueled Wrangler is the tiny badge on the rear hatch. The powerplant becomes available in the Gladiator later in 2020.