Regional special editions are nothing new – witness the scads of Texas Edition and Lone Star badges in that part of the country. This new Big Bear trim for the Gladiator will be reserved for customers in California.
Taking its name from both the state’s mountain lake recreational area and the animal on its flag, the Big Bear starts with a Sport S trim and adds a yaffle of features to that next-to-base model. Visual addenda include steel rock rails, a color-keyed hardtop, 17-inch black wheels, and 32-inch mud-terrain tires.
The package can be paired with most paint shades, including the eye-popping Hydro Blue and Firecracker Red. The new military-inspired hue called ’41 is an option but the recently introduced Mojito! green isn’t mentioned in the bumf. Big Bear decals will appear on the hood and badges for the same will sprout from the rear ‘gate.
Cabin upgrades come courtesy of its own seat upholstery trim, heat for the front chairs and side mirrors, adaptive cruise control, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. Actually, the latter is standard gear in every Gladiator these days (thanks, economies of scale), meaning it isn’t really an upgrade at all and just another bullet point in the sales pitch.
Beyond introducing this new model just for Californians, the company has also extended a hand to the Golden State in recovery efforts around the L.A. fires, donated half-a-mil to the United Way of Greater Los Angeles Wildfire Response while also holding disaster relief drives collecting gear such as food and essential items.
Jeep says the model will be limited to 5,000 copies and bear (pun intended) a starting price of $46,090 plus freight, a sum not far off a regular Sport S with options to closely match, making this Big Bear seem a reasonable deal.
[Image: Jeep]
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