Archive for June, 2006
The end of two Eras
According to a Toledo Blade article, today (Friday, June 30, 2006) marks the day that the last Jeep TJ Wrangler rolls off the production line. Built in the Jeep Parkway plant yesterday, and finished in Jeep’s Stickney Ave plant today (it’s being painted red), it’s the last TJ to be built, and the last Jeep to be built in the Parkway plant.
Jeep’s Parkway plant is the nation’s longest-running automotive plant, putting out roughly 11 million vehicles in its 96 years of operation. Started in 1910, the Parkway plant was built for Willys-Overland Motor Co., and two of the three smokestacks for the plant’s powerhouse still bear the ‘Overland’ name.
No commentsPics of 2007 Unlimited in Ouray, CO
Apparently DCX lent a brand new 2007 Unlimited in that cool green color to a company to do some promo photos up in beautiful Ouray, CO, and of course some folks snapped some pics of it and posted them online. Here are some photos of it parked outside a local food establishment:
http://forum.jkboard.com/viewtopic.php?t=33
And here are some photos in a hotel parking lot that were taken by another person:
The second set of photos shows the camera crew swapping the wheels/tires as well as swapping out the FLARES! In the first set of photos the JK is wearing some body-color flares, but in the second set they’re swapping out the body-color flares for some black ones. What’s really interesting is one of the pics shows the front of the JK with only one flare! So we finally get to see what a JK looks like with no front fenders/flares. 
From Dubs to Diesel.
In search of a lower payment, better fuel economy, better towing capacity, and more overall utility, we traded in our 2003 GMC Denali XL on 22’s for a 2006 Dodge Ram Megacab 3500 SLT with the Cummins Turbo Diesel motor over Memorial Day Weekend. And YES, the new truck cost less than our Denali and gets better fuel mileage, especially while towing. It should anyway—we haven’t had a chance to tow with it yet but even the worst mileage we’ve heard of while towing with the Cummins is still about TWICE the 6-7mpg we got towing with the Denali. Even with barely 400 miles on the ticker, the new Ram is already getting better mileage in mixed driving than the Denali did.
The Denali’s 6.0L is a great motor, but when you combine it with AWD and the wide 305 series tires we had on there, you end up with some pretty poor mileage. My XJ on 35’s got better around town and on the highway than the Denali did. That’s just sad.
Other than that we absolutely loved the Denali, and it was a tough decision to let it go, but I think in the long-run we’ll be better served by a big ol’ honkin’ diesel pickup truck. And let me tell ya, this is one big ol’ honkin’ diesel truck!
So enough talk, here are the deets: 2006 Dodge Ram Megacab 3500 SLT, 5.9L Cummins turbo Diesel, 48RE 4-sp auto trans, light khaki metallic paint, tan cloth interior, “premium” front bench, 17” alloy wheels, CARR side steps, Mopar drop-in bedliner and soft tonneau cover, Sirius satellite radio (wish it was XM!), power sliding rear glass, and the all-important roof lights.
More photos are on flickr. 5 comments
2007 Liberties WON’T get a CRD!
That’s right, the popular Liberty CRD has ceased production as of May. DCX quietly announced on monday that they’re discontinuing the 2.8L CRD Liberty due to the increased emissions standards for MY2007 diesel motors. They haven’t even put out an official press release on it yet, so I figure they’re trying to downplay the news to keep the media focused on last week’s announcement of the upcoming 3.0L CRD that will be available in the Grand Cherokee (and hopefully the Commander).
Even though the CRD Liberty greatly exceeded DCX’s sales expectations, prompting increases in production and selling over 11,000 units since it’s introduction in 2005, they couldn’t justify the expense of upgrading the 2.8L to meet the new emissions standards, and the 3.0L won’t fit under the KJ’s hood. So just when the Jeep line gains a new diesel model, it looses one too. And, not only have the Fed’s new regs killed off the CRD KJ, they’re going to cause about a $3,000 increase in the cost of diesel motors in pickups from what we’ve been told. So starting in 2007, instead of looking at $5,000 to get a diesel under the hood of a Dodge, Ford, of GMC/Chevy, it’ll cost more like $8,000+... That’s one reason why we hurried to get into a 2006 Dodge MegaCab 3500 with the Cummins, but more on that later, heh-heh…
No comments2007 Grands get a CRD!
Chrysler Group To Announce First Full-size Diesel-powered SUV in U.S. With Introduction of 2007 Jeep® Grand Cherokee CRD
- 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee to run on gas, diesel and E-85
- First full-size sport-utility vehicle with 3.0-liter common rail turbo diesel in the U.S.
- Up to 30 percent improvement in fuel economy
- Class-leading towing, torque, driving range
Auburn Hills, Mich, Jun 1, 2006 -
Chrysler Group will announce today its plans to produce the first diesel-powered, full-size sport-utility vehicle (SUV) to be offered in the United States. The 2007 Jeep® Grand Cherokee with a 3.0-liter common rail turbo diesel (CRD) engine will arrive at Jeep dealerships in the first quarter of 2007.
“DaimlerChrysler is a leader in automotive diesel applications in Europe, and it makes sense to continue to build on that experience by offering a modern, clean diesel for the U.S. market,” said Craig Love, Vice President—Rear-Wheel-Drive Product Team, Chrysler Group. “The Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel will offer consumers increased fuel economy, class-leading torque, towing and driving range.”
The new 3.0-liter CRD engine, built by Mercedes-Benz, produces 215 hp (160 kW) @ 3800 rpm and 376 lb.-ft. torque (510 N•m) @ 1600-2800 rpm and gets an estimated fuel economy of 19 miles city and 23 miles highway. The 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD offers class-leading torque, outstanding towing capacity (7,400 lbs.), and class-leading driving range of approximately 425 miles. And, clean diesel technology improves fuel economy by up to 30 percent and has up to 20 percent fewer carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The 3.0-liter CRD engine will be available on the Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, Limited and Overland models.
“The 3.0-liter CRD is an efficient, smooth-running, clean engine that delivers fuel economy and performance,” said Bob Lee, Vice President—Power Train Product Team, Chrysler Group. “Advanced diesel technology has improved over the last several years; engines are quieter and cleaner due to electronic controls, higher fuel pressures and advanced after-treatment systems.”
Chrysler Group was the first automotive manufacturer in the United States to offer a mid-size, diesel-powered SUV, the 2005 Jeep Liberty with a 2.8-liter CRD engine. Based on consumer response, the diesel-powered Jeep Liberty exceeded the company’s expectations. More than 11,000 diesel-powered Jeep Liberty vehicles have been sold since production began. The Jeep Liberty diesel continues to be a strong seller, as consumers realize the benefits of diesel technology.
The Jeep brand also announced earlier in the year that the 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee would have a flex-fuel capable 4.7-liter SOHC V-8 engine, which gives customers the ability to use a fuel with an 85 percent concentration of ethanol (E-85) in their vehicles. Flex-fuel vehicles support renewable sources of fuel and reduce emissions. The 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee continues Chrysler Group’s commitment to alternative fuels and technology.
More than 60 percent of Chrysler Group vehicles sold in Western Europe are diesel-powered. Between 2003 and 2007, Chrysler Group will triple the number of diesel offerings outside North America. Of the estimated 20 vehicles available, 12 or more will have the option for a diesel powertrain (up from four in 2003).
The Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD will be manufactured at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit. The 3.0-liter CRD engine is built at the Mercedes-Benz Berlin Marienfelde Plant in Berlin, Germany. Pricing will be announced closer to availability.
16 comments