Diesel in Cherokee makes it really Grand

Brian Early

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Occasionally, a vehicle will be defined, or perhaps even transformed, by its engine.

Chevrolet's mid-1970s Cosworth Vega is a good example, as are pretty much any of Mazda's rotary-engined cars.

You can now add the Jeep Grand Cherokee to that list.

Jeep's decision to finally offer us the 3.0-litre Mercedes-Benz turbodiesel V6 that Europeans have been enjoying since this generation of Grand Cherokee arrived two years ago is noteworthy.

While diesels are omnipresent in Europe, the Mercedes ML, R and GL320 CDI models are currently the only other diesel-powered light-duty SUVs or crossovers in our market, and they use the very same engine.

(Mercedes, of course, is the former corporate partner of Chrysler, Jeep's parent.)

This German-made "common rail" oil-burner is a fantastic motor.

Rated one of Ward's 10 Best, it fits the Jeep's all-American, tough-as -nails persona well.

You get a masculine growl under acceleration and a subdued diesel tickover at idle, which is just noticeable enough that informed bystanders will recognize that, hey, that thing doesn't have a Hemi.

The ability to pass gas stations quickly makes that point, as well.

My Limited tester returned 10.4 L/100 km economy during a family vacation week that included everything from low-speed campground moseying to high-speed travel (punctuated by some two-lane overtaking manoeuvres), as we journeyed to Sudbury and back.

The two other Grand Cherokees I've tested were V8s: a 2004 Overland and a 2005 Limited with the non-Multiple-Displacement System Hemi engine.

They both averaged just over 15 L/100 km.

The Benz motor's fuel economy bests even the base 210 hp, 3.7-litre gasoline V6.

Since CO2 emissions are directly related to fuel consumption, the diesel is superior in this regard.

Performance need not suffer.

The Grand's 215-horse diesel might be slower than the 5.7-litre Hemi, but it's a half second ahead of the available 235 hp, 4.7 L V8 in the sprint to 100 km/h, doing it in 9 seconds flat.

With a substantial 376 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, the V6 matches the Hemi's 3,266 kg trailer rating.

Shifts from my Jeep's five-speed automatic were a bit clunky when stone cold.

But otherwise the box worked very well, shifting smoothly and providing mild engine braking at low speeds – useful in heavy traffic.

As you'd expect, there are some drawbacks to the diesel.

Despite considerable sound-deadening efforts, the engine remains quite audible under load (which I didn't find objectionable).

At cruising speeds, the interior fan alone is often enough to mask the sound, and the diesels all come with a 276-watt Boston Acoustics audio system, just in case further noise suppression is desired.

Away from the highway, diesel fuel can prove tricky to find at times.

My casual observations suggest that of the major brands, Shell stations are the most likely to carry diesel, with Petro-Canada seemingly oblivious to its existence.

Since diesel doesn't evaporate like gasoline, the pump and its surroundings can look a bit like the Exxon Valdez just pulled away.

The nozzle drips accumulate, and although the new ultra-low sulphur fuel is less smelly, it's still unmistakably diesel.

The most obvious drawback to the Benz motor is its cost.

At a $1,500 premium over the Hemi V8 in a Limited or Overland, it can add over $7,000 to the bottom line of a base Laredo because of the additional options (like leather seats and a sunroof) with which it's bundled.

The upside is that Jeep predicts appreciably better residual values for the diesels, and that should improve lease terms, too.

You can further console yourself with the knowledge that you'd have to spend roughly another $13,000 to buy a Mercedes ML320 CDI with the same motor.

Diesel or not, there are inherent compromises required by the Grand Cherokee's impressive off-road talents.

Although this rig has a unibody, interior space is much less than suggested by its exterior dimensions.

Good ground clearance required an elevated floor height that initially makes it feel more like you're sitting on, rather than in, the front seats (which could use more lateral support).

The cargo area's floor is quite high as well, hobbling the Jeep's overall capacity.

That said, this generation of Grand Cherokee is a revelation compared to the previous one; it's far more refined and far less truckish.

Steering precision can now be mentioned without snickering, and the whole driving experience has improved vastly.

Enthusiasm is now rewarded, not punished.

Classy woven fabric headliner or not, Jeep isn't going to beat Audi into submission with the quality of its interior materials just yet.

But the plasti-wood accents were convincing enough and everything seemed to fit together well.

The heavily optioned tester even evinced no squeaks or rattles while traversing Sudbury's badly broken pavement.

Despite the recent corporate divorce between Daimler and Chrysler, the latter's reps insist that the Mercedes diesel will remain on the Grand Cherokee option sheet for the foreseeable future.

That gives the Grand a decided advantage over many of its peers.

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