Jeep debuted its 2014 Grand Cherokee at the 2013 North American International Car Show in Detroit. New for 2014 will be a 3.0 litre 6-cylinder EcoDiesel engine option for the flagship SUV. Chrysler-Fiat, parent company of Jeep, will get its 3.0 litre diesel from Fiat-owned engine designer and manufacturer VM Motori. The Motori diesel will make 241 horsepower, with an estimated fuel economy of 23 mpg city/33 mpg highway. It will be paired with a five-speed automatic transmission, with plans to introduce an eight-speed transmission for the 2014 model year as well. The eight-speed transmission will benefit from a torque converter that transfers torque from the engine to the driveshaft with minimal loss, and an array of over 40 shift maps to automatically select the ideal shifting points for the current driving conditions.
The 3.0L EcoDiesel will join the 3.6L V-6, the 5.7L V-8, and the 6.4L Hemi V-8 to round out the current Grand Cherokee engine lineup, and offer North American SUV drivers with an environmentally-friendly fuel alternative. Making use of a urea and water mixture the EcoDiesel Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) greatly reduces CO2 emissions. Implementing Fiat technology, the EcoDiesel engine uses MultiJet II common-rail injectors and oil jets to cool its pistons, to keep temps lower and efficiency higher. Equipped with a water-cooled variable-geometry turbocharger and swift-control intake ports, the EcoDiesel 3.0L diesel engine will make cold starts easier, and bring useful torque to bear throughout the engine speed spectrum.
Another anticipated option for the 2014 Grand Cherokee is the innovative Uconnect Access feature presently offered in the 2013 Ram truck and 2013 SRT Viper. The Uconnect option, powered by Sprint Velocity technology, provides wi-fi service connectivity for user-owned smartphones, tablets and other wireless devices, and supports both the iOS and Android platforms.
Once launched in the 2014 Grand Cherokee, Chrysler-Fiat plans to extend availability of the 3.0L EcoDiesel engine to its Ram 1500 pickup and ProMaster vans.