Jeep still mulling two-door Gladiator; Hellcat-powered variant ruled out

The Hellcat V8 "fits like a glove" but without enough extra room to pass crash tests.

The two-door Jeep Gladiator J6 concept presented at the annual Easter Jeep Safari is apparently under consideration to become an actual production model.

Speaking to Australia's Drive, Jeep brand head Tim Kuniskis cautioned that making a business case for the J6 would be "tough" but the Wrangler "sells pretty well" as a two-door, potentially opening the door to a new niche in the pickup segment.

Kuniskis ruled out the possibility of a Hellcat-powered Gladiator. The company already knows the massive V8 "fits like a glove" in the Gladiator engine bay. The configuration would not pass crash tests, however, as there is not enough buffer space between the engine and the vehicle structure.

For now, the J6 concept allows FCA to gauge interest in the two-door idea as the company considers how to build out the Gladiator range with more variants in the coming years.