Grand Cherokee's diesel delivers

Jeep was careful making changes to the popular Grand Cherokee and tried, as engineering director Mark Allen said, to do nothing “to screw up the secret sauce.”

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• Automakers
• Jeep
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• Diesel fuel
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AUSTIN, Texas -- Jeep will begin selling the re-engineered 2014 Grand Cherokee in the United States this spring with an optional 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine that delivers 240 hp and 420 pounds-feet of torque.

The engine plus a new eight-speed automatic transmission provides greatly improved low-end torque and towing ability as well as highway fuel economy of 30 mpg.

The basics: Jeep had planned a minor refresh of its top-selling model for 2014 when the eight-speed rear-wheel-drive transmission became available. Engineers overhauled the SUV's electrical architecture as well, adding Chrysler's latest Uconnect infotainment system, with an 8.4-inch center stack screen.

Exterior styling changes are modest: a smaller grille and restyled front and rear lighting. Inside, a new 7-inch programmable instrument cluster allows customers to display such information as the angle of all four tires as they traverse obstacles.

Notable features: The SUV's gasoline engines, a 3.6-liter V-6 and a 5.7-liter V-8, remain. Coupled with the new transmission, the engines get a 2-mpg increase in highway fuel economy over 2012 models. Even the SRT8 version, with its 6.4-liter engine, gets improved efficiency coupled with the new transmission.

The new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6, made by VM Motori in Italy, uses urea to reduce emissions. The diesel delivers V-8 power and torque but with a highway rating of 30 mpg. With a 24.6-gallon tank, the diesel Grand Cherokee's range is about 730 miles. The new powertrain also improves the SUV's crawl ratio, a vehicle's lowest gear ratio, for off-roading and rock-climbing.

What Jeep says: "It's always tricky doing a refresh with something like this because there's the push to make it look really, really different and there's a chance that in the process you're going to screw up the secret sauce" that made the Grand Cherokee so popular, says Mark Allen, Jeep's director of engineering.

Compromises and shortcomings: Low-end Laredo packages don't get the full 8.4-inch information screen; instead they get a 5-inch screen with primitive graphics. The diesel package doesn't come with a standard engine-warming system for extremely cold climates; the system is available only as an option from the dealer.

The market: The Grand Cherokee outsold every other SUV last year, regardless of size. Pricing for the base model Laredo will rise $1,100 for the 2014 model year to $29,790, including shipping. Jeep split its Overland Summit top trim into two levels, Overland and Summit. The diesel engine adds a $4,500 premium to the price, putting the sticker of a top end diesel-powered Grand Cherokee Summit at $53,490, including shipping.

The skinny: The eight-speed transmission offers better fuel economy and a quieter ride. Meanwhile, Chrysler's first light-duty diesel engine delivers plenty of power on demand to accompany its outstanding fuel economy.

You can reach Larry P. Vellequette at lvellequette@crain.com.

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