The adventurer turns to diesel
The Liberty led the way two years ago, and the appearance of Mercedes with its Bluetec engines anticipated it: diesel powertrains will soon invade our market. Jeep has chosen its Grand Cherokee to lead their battle in the diesel market, which is taking its baby steps on our shores.
For Jeep, the arrival of the diesel is just one step. They promise to sacrifice nothing of the vehicle's performance and capability, but they also say that it will be more efficient and pollute less than ever before. That's something we couldn't confirm during our brief drive on the streets of Montreal, although the big sport-ute was agile and dynamic nonetheless.
It's all about the torque
Enthusiasts already know that Mercedes-Benz is pushing its Bluetec technology, globally recognized for its environmentally-friendly use of diesel fuel. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for a next generation of the engine in order for the Grand Cherokee to benefit from the refinements of its high-tech development.
In the meantime, we'll have to make do (!) with a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 with direct injection, the same that equips the European version of the Chrysler 300 and that won an award for the best engine of 2007. It produces 215 horsepower, which isn't remarkable. But it's the amount of torque available in the Grand Cherokee, just like pretty much all diesel engines in the world, that gets the attention: it develops no less than 376 pound-feet at a low 1,600 rpm. The torque curve is virtually flat up to 2,800 rpm, which guarantees maximum mid-range performance, and without the slightest grumble.
With those numbers, the Grand Cherokee accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 9 seconds and can tow up to 7,200 pounds (3,266 kg), which makes it the most powerful SUV of its category in that regard.
It's all about the family
Good news for Canada is that the complete line of Grand Cherokee models that will be available in CRD trim. That means even the base Laredo model can be equipped with the turbodiesel engine. Compared with its gasoline-powered colleagues, it notably has the advantage of getting the Quadra-Trac II system.
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The Liberty led the way two years ago, and the appearance of Mercedes with its Bluetec engines anticipated it: diesel powertrains will soon invade our market. Jeep has chosen its Grand Cherokee to lead their battle in the diesel market, which is taking its baby steps on our shores.
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| The Grand Cherokee CRD is in fact the cleanest and greenest Jeep ever produced. |
For Jeep, the arrival of the diesel is just one step. They promise to sacrifice nothing of the vehicle's performance and capability, but they also say that it will be more efficient and pollute less than ever before. That's something we couldn't confirm during our brief drive on the streets of Montreal, although the big sport-ute was agile and dynamic nonetheless.
It's all about the torque
Enthusiasts already know that Mercedes-Benz is pushing its Bluetec technology, globally recognized for its environmentally-friendly use of diesel fuel. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for a next generation of the engine in order for the Grand Cherokee to benefit from the refinements of its high-tech development.
In the meantime, we'll have to make do (!) with a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 with direct injection, the same that equips the European version of the Chrysler 300 and that won an award for the best engine of 2007. It produces 215 horsepower, which isn't remarkable. But it's the amount of torque available in the Grand Cherokee, just like pretty much all diesel engines in the world, that gets the attention: it develops no less than 376 pound-feet at a low 1,600 rpm. The torque curve is virtually flat up to 2,800 rpm, which guarantees maximum mid-range performance, and without the slightest grumble.
With those numbers, the Grand Cherokee accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 9 seconds and can tow up to 7,200 pounds (3,266 kg), which makes it the most powerful SUV of its category in that regard.
It's all about the family
Good news for Canada is that the complete line of Grand Cherokee models that will be available in CRD trim. That means even the base Laredo model can be equipped with the turbodiesel engine. Compared with its gasoline-powered colleagues, it notably has the advantage of getting the Quadra-Trac II system.
 |
| The CRD engine is optional on Laredo (Canada only), Limited and Overland models. |