While most Gladiator builds focus on suspension and appearance mods, Alpine built a Jeep pickup that'll please your ears as much as your eyes.
Coolest of the Cool
It should surprise no one that the Jeep Gladiator was easily one of the most common sites at the 2019 SEMA show. After all, the Wrangler on which it's based has long been one of the most customized vehicles on the planet. But while most Gladiator builds focused on suspension and appearance mods, it was Alpine's rolling boombox that Pickup Trucks declared the coolest Gladiator build at SEMA.
Photos: Pickup Trucks
Equalize This
Alpine calls their special Gladiator build the "Equalizer," which seems rather appropriate given its massive amount of stereo equipment. Which starts inside, of course, with the brand's brand new X409 head unit. The plug-and-play installation gives the Gladiator a larger and more functional screen to play with, which is always welcome.
Photos: Pickup Trucks
>Join the conversation about Alpine's Gladiator right here in JK-Forum.
Speakers Everywhere
Unlike every other Gladiator on earth, the Equalizer uses its prodigious amount of cargo space to hold nothing but speakers, amplifiers, and lots of lighting. There are a grand total of 40 Bluetooth speakers in the bed alone, along with a few more inside the cabin. But the nice thing about these speakers is that they can be removed easily when you need to haul a few bags of mulch from the store.
Photos: Pickup Trucks
>Join the conversation about Alpine's Gladiator right here in JK-Forum.
Cool Touches
Those smaller speakers are mounted on a powered frame resting above a trio of 12-inch Alpine subwoofers for extra bass. Even the tailgate carries this audio theme, designed to look just like an Alpine head unit from the '80s complete with a volume knob and lighted buttons. Personally, that cool little touch might just be our favorite part about this Gladiator build.
Photos: Pickup Trucks
>Join the conversation about Alpine's Gladiator right here in JK-Forum.
Typical Mods
Of course, Alpine didn't just install all of this cool audio equipment and call it a day. You'll also find a bunch of typical mods on this Gladiator, including Smittybilt front and rear Apollo bumpers, a CORE 44 DRS front sway bar, bronze differential covers, and an on-board mini air compressor.
Photos: Pickup Trucks
>Join the conversation about Alpine's Gladiator right here in JK-Forum.
Light 'em Up
There's also the requisite XRC Gen3 Winch up front in case you get stuck. Inside, you'll find a G.E.A.R. sun visor cover, along with neoprene seat covers for easy cleaning after a day in the mud. The exterior is littered with Pro Comp LED lighting, including a 10-inch light bar, fog lights, and a set of 5-watt LED S4 Gen 3 pods up front.
Photos: Pickup Trucks
>Join the conversation about Alpine's Gladiator right here in JK-Forum.
Off-Road Navigator
Jeep fans will likely be most interested, however, in this Gladiator's Alpine head unit. Mostly because it provides off-road navigation via a host of preloaded maps, along with a breadcrumb feature for trails that haven't been mapped yet. The whole thing is weather-resistant and even comes complete with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability.
Photos: Pickup Trucks
>Join the conversation about Alpine's Gladiator right here in JK-Forum.
Pure Showcase
New vehicles, including the Gladiator, are coming from the factory with better and better stereos and head units. But Alpine's Equalizer is a nice reminder that there's still a host of valid reasons to go with aftermarket equipment. The fact that they showed it off on the coolest Gladiator at SEMA certainly doesn't hurt that cause, either.
Photos: Pickup Trucks
>Join the conversation about Alpine's Gladiator right here in JK-Forum.
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