If you're like me, you don't exactly think of Jeep when it comes to saving the environment. For sure, you probably admire the brand for creating some of the best terrain-busting, trail-slicing, ruggedly capable SUVs on the planet. But saving the environment?
Yet, Jeep offers a pretty interesting alternative to traditional gasoline-powered 4x4s. It's called the Grand Cherokee, and it's available with a 3.0L turbodiesel engine.
Large size, small emissions
Said turbodiesel is entirely new. It uses a variable-geometry turbine system to generate 215 horsepower... without compromising performance at all.
Now you're thinking: "What? Is he crazy? How on God's Earth can 215 horsepower be enough to move such a heavy vehicle as the Grand Cherokee?" Rest assured, my mind is totally sane. This turbodiesel V6 also produces up to 376 lb-ft of torque at only 1,600 RPM. Now that's what I'm talking about!
The results are pretty convincing: takeoffs can be electrifying and the four-wheel drive system, even in the most demanding trails and inclines, works like a charm. This is one smooth, outrageously flexible engine. Moreover, it's really not as noisy as some diesel critics would like you to believe.
Even better, its emission levels are lower than the standard V8's and the unpleasant smell of older diesels (have you ever followed a city bus closely?) has completely vanished.
The icing on the cake comes from the turbodiesel's fuel economy. While the Grand Cherokee is widely considered as a gas-guzzling SUV, the CRD model (common-rail diesel) only burns about 12 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers.
Yet, Jeep offers a pretty interesting alternative to traditional gasoline-powered 4x4s. It's called the Grand Cherokee, and it's available with a 3.0L turbodiesel engine.
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| The diesel powertrain takes nothing away from the Grand Cherokee's ruggedness. |
Large size, small emissions
Said turbodiesel is entirely new. It uses a variable-geometry turbine system to generate 215 horsepower... without compromising performance at all.
Now you're thinking: "What? Is he crazy? How on God's Earth can 215 horsepower be enough to move such a heavy vehicle as the Grand Cherokee?" Rest assured, my mind is totally sane. This turbodiesel V6 also produces up to 376 lb-ft of torque at only 1,600 RPM. Now that's what I'm talking about!
The results are pretty convincing: takeoffs can be electrifying and the four-wheel drive system, even in the most demanding trails and inclines, works like a charm. This is one smooth, outrageously flexible engine. Moreover, it's really not as noisy as some diesel critics would like you to believe.
Even better, its emission levels are lower than the standard V8's and the unpleasant smell of older diesels (have you ever followed a city bus closely?) has completely vanished.
The icing on the cake comes from the turbodiesel's fuel economy. While the Grand Cherokee is widely considered as a gas-guzzling SUV, the CRD model (common-rail diesel) only burns about 12 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers.
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| More than adequate power and reasonable fuel economy. What more can you ask for? |