Region-specific releases for vehicles aren’t a terribly uncommon practice if you consider those makes and/or models not released here in the U.S., for example; but to get more granular, offering a new vehicle only in certain states is a little less common, usually the result of laws or regulations, typically emissions related. Still, the practice has happened before and is happening again with the 2025 Jeep Gladiator Big Bear Edition, limited to just 5,000 units for California customers.

The name gives it away, serving as both an homage to California’s flag and Big Bear Lake, a recreational area nestled in the mountains east of Los Angeles. Given its Jeep roots and additional equipment, the Big Bear should make getting out of the city and into the wild a tad easier.

The BB is based on the Sport S, just two steps up from the Gladiator’s entry trim, giving customers all of that grades’ equipment along with a somewhat predictable list of edition-specific additions, more than just bear badging (though that is, naturally, part of it). Steel rock rails are bolted up for extra undercarriage protection, while a body-color hardtop shields occupants from the sun’s UV rays; though that layer of sunblock can be removed all the same, as can the doors, joined by a folding front windshield. The front seats are heated, as is the steering wheel and exterior mirrors; and Jeep’s Uconnect 5 operating system is projected onto a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, a piece of tech that’s been standard in the Gladiator for some time now, joined by first- and second-row side-curtain airbags. Meeting the ground below is hopefully not that pair of steel rock rails and instead a set of 17-inch wheels and 32-inch mud-terrain tires.

2025 Jeep Gladiator Big Bear is a Cali-Exclusive Pickup 2Along with the Big Bear Edition, 2025 sees two new shades of green for the Gladiator. Mojito!, pictured above and exclamation mark included, is as flashy and splashy on the Gladiator as it is on the Wrangler, which the shade returns to this year alongside its pickup premiere. The other color, the olive-drab-like '41, is also available and ready for duty.

That rubber digs into the earth with Jeep’s Command-Trac 4×4 system and a two-speed transfer case. Under the hood is a standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, mechanically in line with the Gladiator’s “available in all 50 states” grades. So while the Big Bear does include some useful hardware, there’s no need for a new age rush out west for Gladiator gold.

Those already panning for some nuggets to put towards the down payment should know that the 2025 Jeep Gladiator Big Bear Edition starts at $47,985 with destination attached, a noticeable difference over the $43,595 Sport S starting price. However, consider the Sport S premium package’s price of $4,295, which includes a body-color Freedom hard-top, Premium McKinley-trimmed seats and other amenities, as well as other packages that include some of the features seen here, and the Big Bear isn’t unreasonable for a special edition.