Chrysler to introduce new diesel pickup after 2009
Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:07am ET


WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Chrysler Group, a unit of Germany's DaimlerChrysler AG (DCXGn.DE: Quote, Profile , Research) (DCX.N: Quote, Profile , Research), said on Tuesday it will introduce a new turbodiesel engine in its Dodge light duty pickups after 2009.

The new Cummins Inc. (CMI.N: Quote, Profile , Research) clean diesel technology for the Dodge Ram 1500 will provide up to 30 percent better fuel economy and a 20 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared with a conventional gasoline engine, Chrysler said.

The diesel design will meet emissions standards of all 50 U.S. states for 2010, the company said.

In Europe, diesel-powered models account for more than half of Chrysler sales. Dodge is Chrysler's best-selling brand in the United States.



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I wonder is they will wait that long and for that engine when it comes to the JK??


:confused:

 

Seen the Wrangler with the Hemi offered as an option? ..........right!
I think DC is going to drag their collective feet on this one too

 

Guys (and gals too) -

DC and their suppliers can't even keep up with the huge demand for these awesome vehicles, new (for a Jeep) gas engine notwithstanding... what incentive do they have for offering a "bigger" or more costly engine in the near future? What great financial benefit would they realize by retooling their assembly line, and offering an "unproven" NEW diesel (chock full of new emissions-regulating "Blue Tec" hardware and gadgetry sourced from the MB parts bin) in the next couple of years?

Not to mention that the intial growing pains for "small" diesels will likely be similar to the early 80's, when strict emissions controls turned even the Corvette into a whimpering little 200+ hp gas engine on wheels...

My prediction is that you WILL eventually see a diesel option in the Wrangler, but it'll be a result of corporate trickle-down from Mercedes (given what THOSE vehicles sell for, it's obvious that DCX would realize their greatest ROI on that line). Then the light Dodge pickups (where the engine wouldn't have to change TOO much to suit the application, and wouldn't have to meet the demands of a 2500 or 3500 series truck) will follow, and eventually, once Americans embrace diesels (I think they're projecting a 16% increase in diesel registrations in the US over the next decade?), Wranglers will finally get 'em.

We'd ALL love a torque-monster engine (despite the smell, noise, etc.), but I predict that you'll see Toyota offering diesels (or possibly even a diesel-hybrid!) in their pickups before you see a viable Wrangler diesel option in the US. Sorry.

Just my 2 pennies' worth.

 

I don't think 2010 or 2011 is wishfull thinking. lol 08 is wishful thinking.

And yes, it's all about sales and marketing. DC will offer the current engines as long as sales are strong and then add a little something (and repeat as necessary) from time to time to keep us interested and talking.

 

Apparently they are putting a big emphasis on diesels - maybe a diesel Wrangler isn't that far off.

As reported in Edmunds.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=119338

 

More than 60 percent of the Chrysler Group vehicles sold in Western Europe are diesel powered. Between 2003 and 2007, the 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).

see: http://www.jeep.com/jeep_life/news/a...gc_diesel.html

 

Great info, but in spite of this, I still don't expect DCX to offer a diesel in US Wranglers for some time. Now, to offer a diesel in the Wrangler would obviously please many of us on the forum - but their (DCX's) emphasis does NOT seem to be on customer satisfaction... look at the cheap dashboard plastic thread that's going around the forum as of this writing...

On the other hand, the diesel option WOULD help to increase the fuel economy rating brand-wide, which could become a benefit to DCX should stricter new fuel economy standards phase in, in the near future...

So, not impossible, and I think we're all in agreement that it WILL happen eventually... it's just a matter of when (and how much extra it'll cost!). I stand by my unfounded and uninformed prediction: 2010 model year or thereafter (that'll be time, product lifecycle-wise, for a "freshening" to keep sales up).

Around that same time, maybe they'll also offer a ghettoed-out, low-to-the-ground, begging-for-bling CAR, and try to pass it off as a Jeep... oh, wait... I forgot about the Compass...

 

There are already JKs with diesels in them. Emissions and other issues are on the back of the engine provider, in this case Cummins. Because Cummins is building new engines for North American DCX vehicles.

Don't shun diesels for the American JK market so easily. It's not really that far of a step.

 

Not shunning them at all - in fact, I welcome them! Don't know about MS, but here in New England (CT and MA), there are currently NO mass-produced diesel-powered non-work vehicles that comply with our state regulations for emissions... Mercedes had to yank the 300D out of these markets, and ditto for the VW diesels...

From what I've read in Car & Driver, Mercedes will be the first back into these states with a diesel (the so-called "Blue-Tec" engines), and word is, they're going to license that technology to other automakers.

I say, welcome diesels! Just don't hold your breath for one in a Wrangler, short-term.

 

I know. Cummins already has diesels that are 50 state compliant. They could stick the Merc diesels in right now if they would just squirt the pee-pee in and fill the pee-pee tank up for free at the dealer or something.

But none-urea injected compliance is likely what Cummins has developed.