CRD in 2007 Wrangler

dog_party · **Posted:** Fri Feb 03, 2006 8:49 am

Cool! You've seen commercials for the CRD Liberty?! If anyone has any idea where I might find them on the net, let me know! Any Liberty commercials would be great. I'm still searching for a downloadable version of the volcano commercial, which is still my favorite. But I obviously haven't seen them all.

I had a dream last night that I saw a Patriot Blue Jeep Gladiator sitting in a dealership lot as I drove by. I was pretty upset when the alarm woke me up before I could get turned around to go get it. Might have to go home tonight and clean up the mess in the corner that used to be my clock.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Fri Feb 03, 2006 8:59 am

Dude that's hilarious. Yeah, the CRD TV ad starts off with a full-screen shot of the fuel guage and an odometer. It shows the odometer counting miles rapidly and the fuel gauge dropping. And when it gets to empty the odometer shows 500 miles. And then the ad goes on to show off the CRD's ability to go 500 miles on a single tank, torque of a V8, horsepower of a V6, mileage of an I-4...etc etc.. Basically the same stuff they rant and rave about on the website. But it is a cool commercial. I've seen similar ads in 4x4 magazines too.

I'm with you on the Gladiator. A Jeep pickup truck with a CRD engine under the hood....yup I'd have to buy one of those in a heartbeat. But I don't think it's going to happen man. Just don't see it happening...

KJbob · **Posted:** Fri Feb 03, 2006 12:29 pm

I guess we all have to be patient. I really think there is going to be a Grand Cherokee CRD but not as soon as OldNavy thinks. I don't know when it'll show up but I'm pretty confident it will.

A CRD in a wrangler (or variation therof) is a perfect match in my opinion. Great for offroading and decent fuel mileage on the highway. Besides a Grand Cherokee CRD, A four door wrangler CRD would definitely get my attention

.

When I go to Camp Jeep this year, I'm definitley going to ask!

oldnavy · **Posted:** Fri Feb 03, 2006 2:50 pm

I bet the next D/C vehicle with a diesel will be the Dakota PU. Myself I would much rather see it in the LX series cars first, but I doubt that will happen. I would really think a nice diesel mid-sized PU like the Dokota would sell faster then they could be built and would almost lead to the death of gasser PU trucks in my opinion. A 2wd manual tranny Dakota is maybe a 19 mpg vehicle, with our 2.8L CRD it would be a mid 30's on mpg's. Would not take long before word got out and people would be rushing the dealer. My neighbor complains about his Toyota 4cyl 2wd automatic truck getting nonly 17 mpg in town, it has to down shift at ever hill and rev so high to be able to maintain the speed the CC is set at when they travel anywhere and even then he says it looses speed. He's fit to be tied that we get 22 mpg in town driving and 31 highway and said he just may trade for Jeep next year when it is that time again to trade.

dog_party · **Posted:** Fri Feb 03, 2006 4:05 pm

I definitely think the Dakota would be the best choice for DC as a next diesel step from a comsumer view-point. I can see the Caravan as a good potential next step as well. DC has a lot of practice putting diesels into vans in Europe and I think people would eat up a diesel minivan.

But I don't think that seeing an American DC sedan get a diesel soon is too far fetched. From what I've seen, the Merc E320 CDI is selling up to goal, but I might be misinformed on that though. I can see them replicating that setup into an affordable American DC sedan. I'd be hard-pressed not to buy the Magnum with a big phat diesel in it if they made it available. Maybe a red one, limo tint, Pirelli P-Zeros to handle all that power, yeah, I'm feelin' that!

But what I really think would sell like stinkin' hotcakes to the American people is a 1/2 ton P/U with a mid-level diesel in it. DC already has a proven 1/2 ton truck and a few million people crying for a disel in it. Jeez, fleet sales alone for a diesel 1/2 ton would be astronomical!!

Their options are limitless. They have one or two of every type of vehicle anyone can imagine. They just need to get over the springboard and prove to the bean-counters that developing diesel production in America is a valid investment. And I think all of us buying the first and second year offering is a great show of hands to them. Maybe we should get some advertising money for that. Hmmmmmm...

oldnavy · **Posted:** Fri Feb 03, 2006 4:30 pm

dog_party wrote:

I definitely think the Dakota would be the best choice for DC as a next diesel step from a comsumer view-point. I can see the Caravan as a good potential next step as well. DC has a lot of practice putting diesels into vans in Europe and I think people would eat up a diesel minivan.

But I don't think that seeing an American DC sedan get a diesel soon is too far fetched. From what I've seen, the Merc E320 CDI is selling up to goal, but I might be misinformed on that though. I can see them replicating that setup into an affordable American DC sedan. I'd be hard-pressed not to buy the Magnum with a big phat diesel in it if they made it available. Maybe a red one, limo tint, Pirelli P-Zeros to handle all that power, yeah, I'm feelin' that!

But what I really think would sell like stinkin' hotcakes to the American people is a 1/2 ton P/U with a mid-level diesel in it. DC already has a proven 1/2 ton truck and a few million people crying for a disel in it. Jeez, fleet sales alone for a diesel 1/2 ton would be astronomical!!

Their options are limitless. They have one or two of every type of vehicle anyone can imagine. They just need to get over the springboard and prove to the bean-counters that developing diesel production in America is a valid investment. And I think all of us buying the first and second year offering is a great show of hands to them. Maybe we should get some advertising money for that. Hmmmmmm...

I think they will test the waters with the Dakota 2.8L and if it's a sucess the watch the following year for a VM 3L V6 in the 1/2 ton full sized truck. Talk about putting GM & Ford under that would just about do it in my way of thinking. A full sized truck with automatic trans and still get 28 to 30 mpg would put a stake through the Ford PU & GM trucks because neither has a diesel they could put in the 1/2 tons for several years beyond Dodge.

kj lad · **Posted:** Fri Feb 03, 2006 5:09 pm

The reason for the liberty getting the 2.8 CRD first may well have had something to do with the fact that the KJ has always been available with a CRD engine in Europe, Africa and Australia. It would have only taken a few tweeks to make it acceptable to USA emmission laws and compatible with diesel fuels over there?

Liberty is therefore DC's market tester in the USA. Just my thought.

Ian

PS I'm looking forward to the TK CRD :twisted:

Ripple · **Posted:** Fri Feb 03, 2006 5:36 pm

today I saw a RIGHT HAND DRIVE, CRD commander at a Thai restaurant in dearborn. I was going to ask him to pop his hood so i could check out the TT v-6, but I was too busy not enjoying my food, and they left before we did.

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

Another reason may be cost. Dieter Z., on a US television program called AutoLine Detroit, last year, spoke on how excessively expensive it was to obtain EPA certification on a new vehicle, and especially a diesel. The vehicle has to be EPA certified as a unit, so the motor receiving certification on one vehicle reportedly does not grant automatic certification in another new chassis.

If anyone remembers, the CRD in the liberty was quoted by DCX officials as being ~ $1000.00 more expensive than the 3.7 V6 engine. DCX was going to subsidize it as an introduction, and they did this partly by including a lot of packages that would help pay for it. However, that can't go on forever. So introducing it on any vehicle line without sufficiently high sales numbers probably won't happen. Wrangler sales just aren't that high - even after the intro of the Rubicon and the Wrangler Unlimited, in spite of all the online promises if they build the Rubicon, it would be a best seller, it just didn't happen.

I could believe the CRD would show up on a Dakota before the Wrangler. However, I think they should use the VM/DD 3.0 V6 diesel on that one, just for the advertising value. Putting 4 cylinders on a spec sheet, even a diesel, for a truck, just doesn't look very good. It would also have a smoother power delivery.

Added to that, the changing regulations for diesel emissions in 2007, the uncertainty of the exact date of availability of ULSD in late 2006 and you have a recipie for slow diesel introduction in 2006 - 2007. I also have to believe DCX is looking at how they can implement BlueTec components on their entire line, all of which takes time. I'm glad I didn't wait for a diesel Grand Cherokee....

A 3.0 V6 DD Cento diesel in a Dakota, that would be something no one else is even close to...I don't know how they can afford to miss that opportunity. GM or Ford don't even have anything close to the working relationship and a 3.0 V6 diesel engine that DCX has with Detroit Deisel Cento. A real market opportunity. Same 54RFE tranny, heaver rear end, perfect fit.

oldnavy · **Posted:** Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:53 pm

I am like everyone else here I guess and know D/C will hit the market with the VM Motori (owned by DD & Penske Racing) that will be in the '07 line up, our problem is guessing which vehicle & engine will be matched to each other. I go with the idea that the I4 CRD will be in the Dakota for primary reason the frame is not designed for more then 5,000 to 7,000+lb towing, the 2wd version will be at least 1000lbs lighter then a our CRD's and Dodge is going to want to toute the mpg's and hauling ability of a standard V8 in the full sized truck, fuel economy better then the average Toyota 4 banger, at the price of a nice economy car or truck, with an automatic & air for the average Joe & Jane, and a few extras to boot. That VM (DD & P) V6 CRD is a perfect engine for the 1/2 ton because of the greater torque, but also it's almost half again the cost of a 2.8L I4 CRD and that would be a big hit for a midsized truck like the Dakota.

So I am on record for the 2.8L in Dakota being the next CRD we see, as for what would be next, my guess is 1/2 ton Ram then the Grand Cherokee or the big ugly thing from Jeep is that called the Big Ugly Box?

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

Good thoughts oldnavy, but I think a product clash comes into play, if they build the Gladiator with a 4 cylinder CRD and a Dakota with that same engine. Maybe it won't, but I would never settle for a 2 seater pickup with jumpseats if I could buy a Dakota with a quad cab and the same engine. Seems like a V6 CRD would be a perfect differentiator. However, engine cost would be somewhat of an issue, unless fuel is $5.00 a gallon - at that price, I don't think an extra $500 would slow a diesel sale if the mileage was 25% better. In a perfect world, Dodge would offer both the 2.8 and 3.0 CRD.

KJ_Dave · **Posted:** Sun Feb 05, 2006 12:50 am

I was talking with one of the parts suppliers to DCX, they make certain parts for the crd wrangler, said that the reason for it not being offered in the US is solely for the emmissions. They are going to make it in Toledo and ship it to canada. At least it will help with our trade deficit.

kjfishman · **Posted:** Sun Feb 05, 2006 12:56 am

LibertyCRD wrote:

You know, while we are on this topic... Why DIDN'T Chrysler use the Dakota as their test vehicle for the CRD in the U.S. market?? Pickup trucks are the vehicles that made diesels popular in the U.S. They are also the vehicles that could benefit from diesel technology the most. I think they would have had even more success with the diesel in the Dakota. I wonder why they decided to use the Jeep Liberty to test the waters in the U.S.?

My guess is because they already had them in production sold only outside the US.

kjfishman · **Posted:** Tue Feb 14, 2006 9:48 am

LibertyCRD wrote:

You know, while we are on this topic... Why DIDN'T Chrysler use the Dakota as their test vehicle for the CRD in the U.S. market?? Pickup trucks are the vehicles that made diesels popular in the U.S. They are also the vehicles that could benefit from diesel technology the most. I think they would have had even more success with the diesel in the Dakota. I wonder why they decided to use the Jeep Liberty to test the waters in the U.S.?

They wanted something to compete with the small SUV alternate fuel vehicles.

kjfishman · **Posted:** Tue Feb 14, 2006 9:50 am

LibertyCRD wrote:

You know, while we are on this topic... Why DIDN'T Chrysler use the Dakota as their test vehicle for the CRD in the U.S. market?? Pickup trucks are the vehicles that made diesels popular in the U.S. They are also the vehicles that could benefit from diesel technology the most. I think they would have had even more success with the diesel in the Dakota. I wonder why they decided to use the Jeep Liberty to test the waters in the U.S.?

They wanted something to compete with the small SUV alternate fuel/hybrid vehicles.

n3qik · **Posted:** Tue Feb 14, 2006 8:22 pm

Just read that the MB Blue CDI engine is the one of the few that can meet the new emission standard for 2007. If that is true, then the CRD, VW TDI, and others may not be sold in the US.

Here is the link:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/02/13/diesel/index.html

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

The last recent quote I saw from Jeep was that they had no intention of dropping the CRD for 2007. They said they were evaluating technology for meeting 07 emissions for the CRD. If I can find that link again, I'll post it.

oldnavy · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2006 12:48 am

n3qik wrote:

Just read that the MB Blue CDI engine is the one of the few that can meet the new emission standard for 2007. If that is true, then the CRD, VW TDI, and others may not be sold in the US.

Here is the link:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/02/13/diesel/index.html

I have seen several articles on the MB, VW and Toyota diesel that are already able to meet the 07 EPA standard.

CRD in 2007 Wrangler

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