Diesel Isn’t a Dirty Word
With the recent news of scandal and corruption over at Audi and Volkswagen the term “diesel” has been drug through the mud quite a bit in 2015. Which is somewhat ironic because the Volkswagen group was gaining ground on its TDI powertrains by marketing them as “clean diesel” technology. The folks at Fiat have brought a 3.0L 6-cylinder diesel to their Ram and Jeep Grand Cherokee under the marketing name of the “EcoDiesel” to try and achieve similar success. We have always appreciated the modern diesel powertrains from Volkswagen and Audi for their performance and economy. We also loved the latest model of Jeep GC when we tested it years ago so it would seem like a match made in heaven to shove a torque-heavy powertrain under the hood. Take a ride with us in the 2015 Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel to see why we think diesel doesn’t have to be a dirty word.
Pay To Play
Sadly we have to start out by addressing the one fact about this car that will likely alienate most buyers – this vehicle is stickered at $57,000. Keep in mind that this was in the highest “Overland” trim level with options like rear-seat entertainment screens, Advanced Technology Group, the Off-Road Adventure II package, and Quadra-Drive II® 4WD System. In discussing the price I will have to point out the that interior and exterior fit and finish of the Jeep Grand Cherokee is truly fighting up a few outside its class. The modern Jeep GC interior could give brands like Land Rover, BMW, and Mercedes a run for their money. The Indigo Blue and Brown Leather interior combination was very unique without being too ostentatious. The interior was void of any cheap plastics you would find in the last generation Jeep products and truly something to be proud of.
Effortless Acceleration
The major benefit of the diesel powertrain in the Jeep Grand Cherokee is the insane amount of torque. With a whopping 420 ft-lbs coming through the 8-speed transmission you can tow and climb damned near anything. We took the Jeep over the infamous Grapevine section of highway 5 in California and the grade was no problem for the GC as we flew pass other cars. The engine only churns out a lowly 240 horsepower but torque is often what you really need to get a large vehicle to keep accelerating. Because of the effortless delivery of power the Jeep also saw somewhere around 26 – 31 miles per gallon on our long trip. This is the major selling point for the Jeep and I think a huge argument for equipping more SUVs with a diesel powertrain. A week or so later we drove a newer 4-cylinder Chevrolet Equinox and had to mash the pedal down the entire trip to stay ahead of traffic. That gasoline 4-cylinder returned closer to 20-23 miles to the gallon simply because you had to ring the hell out of it to move the truck.
Conclusion
I know it is easy to criticize the lack of acceleration in the Chevrolet Equinox when it can be had for nearly half the price of the Grand Cherokee. Fortunately the EcoDiesel can be had for much cheaper than our test model if you sacrifice some options. Local dealers are selling some Limited trim models closer to $40,000 in Southern California according to TrueCar. Overall the Jeep GC with the EcoDiesel is a personal dream vehicle after spending time with it over a week. From the build quality to the awesome performance – it is a hell of a truck. The growing Jeep brand is here to show consumers that diesel is not dead and that it can be done right.
