Autoblog drives diesel Wranger, Grand Cherokee

[haven]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/27/j...ive/#continued

Autoblog editors were invited to drive the next-generation diesel versions of the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, as sold in Europe. They loved them! Some details:

Grand Cherokee: 3.0L V6 turbodiesel, 406 ft-lbs of torque, 0-60 times faster than the 5.7L V8 gas motor [correction: that's faster than the 3.6L V6 gas engine], projected 32 mpg on the highway, price estimated to be $39K for a 4x4 in Laredo trim.

Wrangler: 2.8L 4 cylinder turbodiesel, 302 ft-lbs of torque, 36 mpg when using the 3.21 final drive, maybe 32 mpg when using the 3.73 final drive from the Rubicon. The 4 cylinder motor is not as refined as the V6 in the Grand Cherokee, but that's in keeping with the Wrangler's image. Price estimated to start at $29,500 for a Wrangler Unlimited 4x4 in Sport trim, or about $4000 more than the gas engine Sport.

If nothing else, this means that Jeep is seriously evaluating the diesel engines for use in North America.

[Metcalf]

I got the 'we are working on it' response at EJS this year. I heard Euro VI and the USA emissions will match close enough to make it work.

The new Euro V wrangler is fantastic. It should have been offered in the USA. While jeep is having a hard time introducing the diesel in the USA, it's just as much the fault of the EPA for making the diesel emissions oddly hard to meet.
Particulate emissions seem to be the biggest concern in the USA?

[forsakenfuture]

Euro spec Rubcions have 3.73s?

[Metcalf]

With the new automatic I think they just about have to. The new auto has a really short overdrive compared to the old 545 automatic.

[haven]

I think the euro diesel Rubicon uses the 3.73 final drive. That's because the diesel doesn't rev as high as the gas engine. With a 4.10 final drive, you'd have a diesel with 55 mph top speed. The diesel produces enough torque to pull the 3.73 at low rpm.

[shortbus4x4]

I am finding it hard to get excited anymore about Jeep, Wrangler, U.S. market and diesel all being used in the same sentence. Maybe if Jeep ever actually offered it here I might get excited but Jeep has teased me to many times now to even get me interested. A four door Wrangler Rubicon with a diesel and manual trans sure would look sweet in my driveway though.

[ywen]

major drool over that mpg

[locrwln]

Why does Jeep just not get it? Every forum you visit, motojournalists and pretty much everyone with a clue wants the wrangler with a diesel. And yet jeep continues to play the "not enough interest" crap.

To Jeep: Build them and let the people show you there is a market.

Jack

[ywen]

Does the euro spec engine pass EPA regulations?

[thetonka]

I got the 'we are working on it' response at EJS this year. I heard Euro VI and the USA emissions will match close enough to make it work.

The new Euro V wrangler is fantastic. It should have been offered in the USA. While jeep is having a hard time introducing the diesel in the USA, it's just as much the fault of the EPA for making the diesel emissions oddly hard to meet.
Particulate emissions seem to be the biggest concern in the USA?

The EPA and CARB HATE diesels, and this is based on nothing factual.

The guy who put together the report for CARB, which has a lot of influence on the EPA regulations and policies, wasn't even a real PHD!

http://green.autoblog.com/2009/11/24...esel-emission/


I would LOVE to have a Diesel Wrangler unlimited.