DaimlerChrysler Ends Production of Diesel Jeep Liberty in North America
Only a week has passed since Chrysler Group announced it would be capping its North American Jeep Grand Cherokee range off with a fuel efficient diesel variant for model year 2007, and another Jeep diesel related announcement will see the successful Liberty CDI removed from the 2007 lineup.
Unlike the usual reason for canceling a given model, Jeep has been happy with sales of its Liberty CDI, achieving about 11,000 units delivered since becoming available in January of last year. The problem lies in meeting more stringent emission standards due to take effect next year, and the Liberty CDI’s 2.8-litre diesel, which is supplied by VM Motori in Cento, Italy, won’t comply without significant investment.
“We could not make a credible business case for an investment in a limited number of vehicles,” commented DaimlerChrysler spokeswoman Dianna Gutierrez.
The new Grand Cherokee diesel will be able to exceed the 2007 targets set out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which are intended to reduce nitrogen oxides as well as particulates such as soot, common to diesel emissions. It should also be mentioned that the EPA has already mandated a significant cut to the sulfur content of diesel fuel, which is important not only to reduce emissions but also so that the more refined, cleaner burning diesels now being sold throughout the rest of the world won’t be clogged up by the industrial-grade diesel that has previously been sold here in North America.
The new clean-burning Grand Cherokee diesel engine announced last week will be made in Berlin by Jeep second-cousin Mercedes-Benz. It will be save consumers about 30 percent at the pump, when compared to gasoline, and therefore reduce emissions commensurately.
Gutierrez reminded a group of journalists in Auburn Hills that the Jeep Liberty CDI was used for testing North American consumer interest in diesel engines.
“It was successful,” she continued, speaking about the Liberty CDI. “We sold way more than we thought we would.”
The Liberty CDI will continue production in Jeep’s Toledo, Ohio facility for European export, but won’t be sold in North America anymore - the last U.S.-bound version rolled off the line in late May.
Chrysler Group has also announced that a new hybrid drive system will soon be available to fuel conscious buyers, so its Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel alternative adds to its overall competitiveness. Nothing has been said about a potential Grand Cherokee hybrid, although other SUVs in the Chrysler Group lineup are expected to get the nod, including Dodge’s full-size Durango and Chrysler’s upcoming 2007 Aspen.
It is also entirely possible that DCX will maximize all of its technical resources by offering a diesel hybrid drivetrain, although the high cost of doing so may push such a vehicle out of reach of a Chrysler Group buyer. Such a product may be more palatable if offered by Mercedes-Benz, which has the ability to absorb higher costs in its pricier, premium branded products. If it did, diesel-hybrid powered ML, E-Class, and S-Class models would be strong competitors to Lexus’ RX 400h, GS 450h and upcoming LS 600h.