DaimlerChrysler claims the launch of the 2005 Jeep Liberty (Cherokee) CRD, the first diesel-powered mid-sized SUV in the US market, has been met with strong customer response, with vehicles moving quickly out of dealer showrooms.
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At the end of May more than 6,000 units had been shipped to dealers, and 3,000 of those sold. Vehicles are sitting on the dealer lots an average of 23 days, about one-third the typical time.
“The 2005 Jeep Liberty diesel has gotten off to a strong start, demonstrating that there is a latent interest in modern, clean-running diesels – an interest that we believe can be nurtured and expanded,” said Jeff Bell, vice president, Chrysler & Jeep.
Addressing the Motor Press Guild in Los Angeles on the challenges and opportunities of selling diesel passenger vehicles in the US market, Bell said that many Americans think of diesel as smelly, smoky, loud and dirty, an image built in part on memory of 1970s diesel technology.
“The major obstacle to increasing the sales of diesel-powered passenger vehicles in the US is the notion that diesel is an old, inefficient technology,” Bell said.
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By GlobalDataDaimlerChrysler launched the Jeep Liberty CRD, along with the Mercedes- Benz E320 CDi diesel luxury sedan, to test the U.S. consumer response to diesel and to change the image of diesel among US consumers.
“The Jeep Liberty CRD is helping to dispel the myths about diesel technology. And that’s because, most importantly it is a clean-running, common-rail diesel, with the latest Jeep technologies and benefits,” Bell said.
“Most definitely, this is not your father’s loud, smoky, sluggish diesel.”
Because of an infusion of technology, including common-rail diesel (CRD), today’s diesel engines have 80% lower particulate emissions, 70% lower NOx emissions, 15% improved fuel consumption, 50% more power and 30% more torque than diesel engines had just a decade ago. They are also much quieter.
Diesel engines are also durable – often running hundreds of thousands of miles with little routine maintenance, Bell said. Chrysler Group is extending the warranty on diesel engines in all 2006 model year vehicles; the limited warranty covers engine parts and components up to five years or 100,000 miles.
This durability also helps diesel-powered vehicles hold their value: in one example, a diesel-power vehicle had a 64% higher residual value than a comparable petrol model.
Bell acknowledged that the auto industry still has technical challenges before diesel vehicles become common on US roads. Most notable are the need to further reduce emissions of NOx and particulates. The necessary technology is being developed, but more work is needed.
Bell noted that cleaner fuels are also needed to make diesel vehicles acceptable to Americans. Low-sulphur diesel fuels that will be phased in beginning in 2006 are critical, he said.
“As the diesel market matures and fuel quality improves, we’re confident we can develop the technology to meet EPA Tier 2, Bin 5 standards, which will support sales of diesel passenger vehicles in all 50 states. That’s our goal,” Bell said.
