Jeep Cherokee Diesel Coming To Europe

The new Jeep Grand Cherokee will make its European debut next month at the Geneva Auto Show, and it will bring with it two new diesel engine options. With diesel engines growing in popularity here at home though, I’m hopeful that the 2014 Jeep Cherokee diesel will come to America before long as well.

Over in Europe just about every car offers a diesel engine option, and including the Chrysler 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was the first Jeep to pack an EcoDiesel engine here in America. The smaller 2014 Jeep Cherokee is unlikely to get the 3.0 liter EcoDiesel V6 though, instead lining up a pair of 2.0 liter four-cylinder turbodiesels. These multiport turbodiesels will offer up to 170 horsepower and 258 ft-lbs of torque, though a cheaper 140 horsepower option will also be available.

The diesel engines will come paired with a new nine-speed automatic transmission, though a six-speed manual will be standard on the lower-power engine. Chrysler will also offer the Jeep Cherokee with two gasoline engines in Europe, using the same 2.4 liter Tigershark and 3.6 liter Pentastar V6 that we have here in America. Those wanting fuel economy will definitely opt for the diesel option though, as the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel proved with its 28 MPG highway rating. In the smaller and lighter Cherokee, I wouldn’t be surprised to see close to 40 MPG on the highway.

No mention of plans for an American version of the Jeep Cherokee diesel, though the hope remains strong. Rumor has it that a Jeep Wrangler diesel is also in the works, and Chrysler’s sure to spread the EcoDiesel love throughout the Jeep brand in lieu of hybrids or pure electric vehicles. Americans are warming up to these efficient and torquey oil burners, but is it fast enough for Chrysler execs to bring more diesel engine options on board?

Source: Jeep

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

If there’s such a thing as a Swiss Army Knife of SUVs, the title would have to go to the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Perhaps more than any other SUV on the market today, the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, in its many permutations, can manage to be just about all things to just about all people.

While the current model carries on the Grand Cherokee’s legacy of good looks, (relative) luxury and infinite practicality for those needing to haul passengers and cargo out where the buses don’t run, the big news for 2014 is the addition of a Fiat-sourced turbodiesel engine option.

All returning Grand Cherokee versions benefit from improved fuel economy (even the high-output SRT model), but none delivers the kind of impressive numbers served up by the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine, which is mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission.

How impressive? Try as much as 30 miles per gallon on the highway and 22 mpg in the city with rear-drive models, with four-wheel-drive versions delivering 28 mpg highway and 21 mpg city. While the EPA hasn’t published combined numbers yet, we suspect rear-drive versions will get a combined rating of 24 or 25 mpg, with four-wheel-drive models achieving roughly a combined 23 mpg. The Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel will serve up plenty of power for towing, as well, as it’s rated to pull up to 7,400 pounds.

If you’d rather stick to gasoline, the Pentastar V-6 Grand Cherokee is also available with  the eight-speed automatic transmission, returning a respectable 25 mpg on the highway, up from 23 mpg highway last year.

Though unlikely for a green audience, if you should need more power, the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 returns in the lineup as well, though it delivers just 21 mpg highway. Even the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is back in the lineup, but it’s a thirsty beast, returning just 15 mpg combined (13 city, 19 highway) while delivering limited off-road capabilities.

Opting for the available air suspension on standard (non-SRT) Grand Cherokee models will get you a new Eco mode, which drops ride height at speed to reduce drag, while new electrohydraulic steering (not available on V-8 models) further helps to squeeze the most from a gallon of fuel.  

If your driving regularly involves dirt roads, inclement weather or even no roads at all, the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee offers up a truly dizzying array of availableall-wheel drive systems. The Quadra-Trac I and Quadra-Trac II all-wheel drive systems carry over, as does the available Quadra-Drive II setup. The pneumatic suspension, known as  Quadra-Lift, pays dividends both on-road and off, but thankfully Jeep’s Selec-Terrain management system takes the guesswork out of off-road driving. Simply set the dial to the icon most closely resembling your current road and weather conditions, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s electronics will optimize traction accordingly.

Inside, fit and finish is improved over previous models, and even the choice of materials seems to lean more in the luxury direction as you opt for better-equipped trims. The Jeep Grand Cherokee may lack safety amenities found on rival vehicles (such as the inflatable rear seat belts used in the Ford Explorer, or the front-center airbags found on certain GM models), but its go-anywhere capabilities simply aren’t matched by most rival SUVs. If you truly need an SUV that will get you there and back again, in the company of four of your closest friends, few can keep up with the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Now that Jeep is offering a fuel-efficient turbodiesel engine option, the Grand Cherokee will make sense to even more consumers.

Source: Green Car Reports

Will Jeep Wrangler Diesel Be Chrysler's Next EcoDiesel?

Chevy's Cruze Diesel is getting all the headlines, but there's another U.S.-built diesel due out this year--the2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel.

The V-6, 240-horsepower EcoDiesel is expected to achieve 28 mpg highway, and a combined figure in the mid-20s. For its type, that's not bad at all.

It may be just the start of an EcoDiesel range, too. TheDetroit Free Press reports that Jeep is considering a Wrangler diesel.

"Wrangler customers really want a diesel," said Jeep boss Mike Manley at the Chicago Auto Show.

Whether it hits the roads depends very much on how popular the diesel Cherokee becomes. "It's a target vehicle for a diesel once we see the reaction to the Grand Cherokee."

It's the diesel engine's torque that appeals to Wranger fans, making it suitable for off-roading.

Just as European customers have had access to diesel Grand Cherokees for years, customers overseas already get a diesel Wrangler, too.

It uses a slightly older-tech four-cylinder, 2.8-liter diesel engine, rather than the new 3.0 V-6.

Official combined economy on the European cycle is 29 mpg, though European figures are typically around 15-20 percent optimistic. This does suggest what may be possible in the Wrangler with the new engine and transmission, however.

Off-road fans have to wait and see how the 2014 Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel sells before any further models are announced, so don't hold your breath just yet.

But if customers are drawn to the economy improvements in the larger car, a diesel Wrangler may well be on the horizon.

Source: Green Car Reports