Jeep adds an Italian oil burner to the GC lineup—and we ain't talking olive oil.
As if Jeep’s Grand Cherokee didn’t have enough iterations—gas V-6 or V-8, rear- or simple machine drive, fire-breathing SRT, etc.—the model’s 2014 refresh brings with it a three.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6. The update conjointly includes new exterior lighting, resculpted front and rear styling, associated an updated interior.
VM Motori Cento in Ferrara, Italy, produces the engine, which can be marketed underneath the EcoDiesel name. It options a block of compacted C iron and atomic number 13 twin-cam heads. Basic specs for the 60-degree six embody common-rail injection, downstream emissions treatment via organic compound, a 15.5:1 compression magnitude relation, and ceramic glow plugs thus fast to heat up they may well consign mentions of glow plugs to history. Adding to the attract of the diesel is that, just like the 2014 GC’s gas-fired engines, it's backed by a ZF-designed eight-speed automatic. (That last move is one we tend to applaud, as we tend to had issues with the five-speed car in our long-run 2011 V-6 Grand Cherokee.
I Twist, so I Tow
Output ratings have the kind of relationship typical of diesels: good power unit at 240 and spectacular force at 420 lb-ft. The grunt is enough to imbue the diesel Grand Cherokee with identical towing capacities—7400 pounds with rear-wheel drive, 7200 with simple machine drive—as those of the five.7-liter V-8 model. Of maybe equal importance, of course, area unit fuel-economy ratings. machine pegs the rear-drive EcoDiesel at twenty two mpg town/30 main road; choosing four driven wheels sacrifices one mpg within the city and a couple of mpg on the highway. The vary is claimed to be quite 730 miles.
At idle, this Grand Cherokee any puts to rest previous stereotypes regarding diesel engines. though the EcoDiesel emits the standard compression-ignition clatter, it’s no louder or intrusive than is that the V-8, even from the surface. and therefore the force is nice fun; it provides instant punch for day-after-day dicing in traffic. Mind you, it peaks at 2000 rate and therefore the single out is 4800, however the high variety of forward gears means that you’ll nearly ne'er end up wanting for additional muscle.
The 2014 Grand Cherokee drives just about identical as did the prerefresh model, which implies a snug ride, a serene cabin, a generous small indefinite quantity of body roll, a stiff platform, and a refined behavior. As for the diesel, the transition for anyone commercialism in a very Hemi model would be seamless. As nice because the Pentastar V-6 are often, the diesel and therefore the V-8 have much more authority off the road (weak launch skills were among the few complaints lodged against our long-run V-6). for many consumers, selecting between the torquier engines are going to be a flip of the coin, though the exaggerated vary and less-frequent fill-ups of the diesel may prove irresistible, particularly for those that board snowier climes.
Urea for the diesel is carried in an eight-gallon tank. It is replenished via a filler located behind the fuel door and next to the filler for the diesel fuel. A full load of urea should last about 10,000 miles; this aligns with recommended service intervals so the dealer can top it up. The mix of 32.5-percent high-purity urea and 67.5-percent deionized water runs about six to eight bucks per gallon.
Prepare to Pay
But no one ever said being fuel conscious would be cheap. Indeed, the VM diesel is only available on the three top Grand Cherokee models and adds $4500 to the cost of a Limited, Overland, or rear-wheel-drive Summit. (All-wheel drive runs $2000 on the Limited and $3000 on the Overland and Summit.) Getting the diesel in the all-wheel-drive Summit is an extra $5000.
But the up- and downsides are common knowledge to the classic diesel fan. In that regard, we’re preaching to the choir. We eagerly await, however, take-rate figures for the Grand Cherokee diesel among those who have been gasoholics. And will they stay in the fold? This is a story we’re excited to watch unfold.
