The Jeep Gladiator has been updated for the Australian market, with the company "streamlining" the range by dropping the entry-level Night Eagle, while adding new features to the cheaper Rubicon – now the sole variant available.

However, Jeep Australia has dismissed any possibility of the dual-cab ute receiving a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain for the local market.

"So the 4xe [plug-in hybrid Gladiator] is only available in left-hand-drive, so it's not available in right-hand-drive markets at this time," product manager Bridget Thomson told a roundtable of media, including CarExpert.

That means Jeep will go without a direct rival for the BYD Shark 6 PHEV ute, which has proved a runaway success and even overtaken industry stalwarts like the Mitsubishi Triton on the sales chart

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