Jeep Gladiator Remains Off-roader Supreme at Mudfest in Washington
Jeep won three of the six vehicle categories with the 2020 Gladiator being voted ‘Northwest Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year.’
The all-new 2020 Jeep Gladiator – the most capable midsize truck ever – dominated at the 25th annual “Mudfest” competition hosted by the Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA). Jeep won three of the six vehicle categories with the all-new 2020 Jeep Gladiator taking home top honors, being voted “Northwest Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year” by automotive journalist members of NWAPA.
“The 2019 NWAPA Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year competition featured the most diverse group of vehicles we’ve seen in its 25-year history,” says NWAPA President John Vincent of U.S. News & World Report. “The all-new 2020 Jeep Gladiator earned its title of Northwest Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year with an exceptionally functional blend of SUV and pickup attributes that northwest consumers crave.”
In addition to taking overall top honors, the 2020 Jeep Gladiator also earned the win in the Truck and Extreme Capability categories. This is the first time in the event’s 25-year history that a vehicle has captured the Overall, Truck and Extreme Capability categories at once.
More than 25 NWAPA automotive journalists spent two days testing vehicles on paved and off-road routes. Testing took place at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. Journalists tested 22 vehicles from 14 manufacturers to select winners in six categories: Subcompact Utility, Compact and Mid-size Utility, Family Utility, Premium Utility, Trucks and Extreme Capability. The overall winner, the all-new 2020 Jeep Gladiator, was selected from the category winners to be named the 2019 Northwest Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year.
NWAPA
NWAPA is a professional organization of automotive journalists and media members from throughout the Pacific Northwest and Southwest Canada. Founded in 1991, NWAPA includes 54 voting members representing more than 700 newspapers, magazines, radio stations, media groups, and the internet. Members of the organization have been testing SUVs and crossovers since the advent of the modern sport-utility vehicle in the mid-1990s. Non-voting NWAPA members include representatives from automotive manufacturers and related industry professionals.