Geneva, Mar 1, 2005 -



New 3.0-litre diesel delivers class-leading power and torque
First-time availability of 5.7-litre HEMI with Multi-Displacement System in a Jeep® vehicle
New exterior and interior design captures authentic Jeep look and feel
Two new 4x4 systems to meet every customer’s driving needs
Since its introduction in 1992, the Jeep® Grand Cherokee has revolutionised the sport-utility market. Now leading the path carved by its predecessors, the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee for 2005 is designed, engineered and built to master every imaginable day-to-day driving condition, whether on-road or off-road, in all kinds of weather.

Making its European debut today at the 75th Salon de l’Automobile in Geneva, the new, third-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee offers a sportier appearance, improved on-road ride and handling and superior off-road capability — all in a well-appointed package with a number of new premium amenities. The result is a Jeep that is all-new from the ground up, and all Jeep from the inside out.

“Jeep Grand Cherokee sets the benchmark with its on-road refinement, off-road mastery and best-in-class performance in three key areas of customer satisfaction: engine power, off-road traction and towing capabilities,” said Thomas Hausch, Executive Director of International Sales and Marketing—Chrysler Group. “Now with the new 3.0
D engine and 5.7-litre HEMI® with MDS, it becomes an even more compelling package for customers in Europe and other international markets.”

New engines deliver performance and power
Jeep Grand Cherokee brings customers an all-new state-of-the-art 3.0-litre V-6 common-rail turbo diesel (
D) engine, and for the first time ever, the 5.7-litre HEMI V-8 engine is available on a Jeep vehicle. These two engines drive GrandCherokee to provide best-in-class power. The popular 4.7-litre SOHC V-8 engine will continue to be available.

The all-new 3.0-litre V-6
D engine is a “next-generation” power unit from the DaimlerChrysler Group producing class-leading levels of power and torque, with good fuel economy. With Bosch high-pressure fuel injection (2000+ bar), a variable geometry turbocharger and four valves per cylinder, the new engine meets Euro 4 emissions standards without a diesel particulate filter. Maximum power is 160 kW (218 hp DIN) and peak torque is 510 N•m (376 lb.-ft.) from just 1800 rpm.

For the diesel engine, a kick-down switch is now added to the accelerator pedal. This detent, reached before the full travel of the pedal, is intended to reduce transmission kick-downs during normal driving but still allow for full pedal travel when a quicker acceleration is wanted by the driver.

Jeep Grand Cherokee is the first SUV to offer the Multi-Displacement System (MDS). On the 5.7-litre HEMI engine, MDS deactivates half the cylinders during cruising and light acceleration to increase fuel economy by up to 20 percent, depending on driving conditions. Ninety percent of peak torque is available from 2400 to 5100 rpm for excellent performance while trailer towing or travelling off-road, as well as regular city and highway driving. A sophisticated Electronic Throttle Control system tailors throttle response to pedal movement based on operating conditions, and when cruise control is activated, maintains a more consistent vehicle speed on rolling grades than was possible with the previous mechanical throttle.

This control does not come at the expense of performance. The 5.7-litre HEMI engine provides class-leading power and torque, at 240 kW (326 hp DIN) and 500 N•m (369 lb.-ft.). It also stands among the best in class for acceleration and fuel consumption.

With the 5.7-litre HEMI and 3.0
D engines, the Jeep Grand Cherokee delivers best-in-class towing capacity of 3500 kg (7716 lbs.). Combined with the 1908 litres (67.4 cu. ft.) of rear cargo volume, this allows customers greater flexibility in usage for both business and pleasure.

All-new five-speed automatic offers premium refinement
An all-new five-speed W5A580 automatic transmission offers smooth shifts and optimum fuel economy with the 3.0
D. The existing 545RFE five-speed automatic transmission used with the 4.7-litre V-8 and 5.7-litre HEMI has been refined for higher-quality shifts while increasing the Grand Cherokee’s maximum towing capacity.

Both transmissions feature Electronic Range Select driver interactive shift control for the first time on Jeep Grand Cherokee. The shifter provides fully automatic shifting in the “Drive” position, or the driver can manually select each gear sequentially by moving the shift lever left or right from the “Drive” position. This gives the driver control to precisely match any on-road or off-road driving requirement.

Legendary Grand Cherokee size, styling and comfort
Jeep Grand Cherokee’s new design provides a contemporary return of an athletic appearance. Up front, the signature seven-slot grille, flanked by the functional round appearance high-performance halogen headlamps, boldly dominates the design statement. Read More...

BTW- how come an executive in Japan or Korea can get it, but American executives never get it until its too late?!?!?!

Sorry guys, you're wrong.

RubiconTrail.Net says so.

All 2006 model Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge vehicles will have a Bumper to Bumper warranty for 3 years/36,000 miles, and nothing else. The 7/70 is going away!

I believe the warranty story is 120% false. No automaker in their right mind would slice the warranty in half. It would immediately make people suspicious of the vehicles quality. With Korean manufacturers offering full 10/100,000 warranties, there is no way that DCX would cut the powertrain warranty back to 36,000 miles. I could see them extending it to a full (not just powertrain) 70,000 mile warranty.

As far as why no diesel in the Wrangler... stop flipping out. DCX is not about to drop a whole new engine into a vehicle that is going to be completely redesigned in a year. It would be financially careless to do so. The cost of engineering a new drive train is high.

The Grand Cherokee will probably see a diesel first because one has already been engineered for it in Europe.

Also, like I have said before, DCX will not start really pushing the diesels until after next year when low-sulpher diesel becomes manadatory.

PS: It is always helpful to put a little thought into your reactions before posting.

I really don't believe this to be true...

If anything, I think with DCX partnering up with Hyundai to produce a 'Global' engine, the powertrain warranty will go from 7/70 to 10/100 like all other Hyundai's...

I will say this, though, If JEEP Drops the 7/70 powertrain protection, I am Dropping JEEP.

Xterra over a jeep, been there done that and no thank you!!! The jeep is the better vehicle in all forms, wrangler, liberty, grand....period!

I will say I am dissapointed that they are dropping the 7/70. But the 7/70 warranty is fairly new, and wasnt adopted until after 9-11 and the recession because of the fear that car sales would take a massive dive. Remember when the economy started to slump you could get a 10/100 warranty before they did the 7/70? Now that the economy is recovering, they must feel that they are comfortable enough to return to the 3/36 that they had always had before.

Dissapointed, but I dont think its as big a deal as it may initially seem.

Hey, I might be wrong but if I am then DCX has made one very stupid move. I have however contacted DCX to get the official word. I will let you know what I find out.

That is 100% TRUE!!!! On all 2006 models the 7/70 is HISTORY...WHY???? DCX feels that warranty claims are down 40% and quality is UP!!! The 7/70 has not been a selling point on the dcx line up and most people do not know and have to be told they are getting this warranty. Now I know everyone here knows about the warranty, I am talking about the MASSES!!! They don't know!!! I sell these every day...

2006 Warranty for all jeep and chryslers are 3\36 only

10-4 CHRIS! the 4 turbo diesel would be great for
Wrangler with a torque of 295 ft lbls. I can't wait to
see Gladiator P/U in Jeep showrooms. I HOPE!

It is true that dcx is going to a 3/36 basic warranty for the 2006 model year

Shouldn't JEEP offer something better than the 3/36 for the Powertrain?

After all, Engine and Transmission remanufacturers such as JASPER offer 3/36 on any Remanufactured engine or transmission...

Mabye that will be incentive for Jeepers to rebuild their Jeeps instead of buying a new one.

Mabye the very people who they are trying to attract as new Jeep customers will not have any incentive to become brand-loyalists when the warranty is no-better than the next guy...

(That Subaru WRX sure does have a 'purdy maouth...)

Nissan Xterra here I come- I'm tired of waiting on Jeep to produce the car I want and now that they will not stand behind their new products, forget it.

I will admit, I was wrong. Below is the official email from DCX:

----------------------------------------

Thank you for your email regarding the warranty coverage on DaimlerChrysler's 2006 model year vehicles. The 7/70 powertrain warranty will not be implemented.

The majority of 2006 model year Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles are covered for a period of 3 years or 36,000 miles whichever occurs first
on the vehicle. There are additional warranty coverages on the emissions systems and other areas of the vehicles. Please see the
warranty booklet that is provided with each vehicle for additional information on these warranty coverages. This warranty coverage is competitive with the warranty coverages of other companies in our industry.

Specialty vehicles (SRT models, and others) may have different warranty
coverages. Please see your Dealer for additional information on these
models.

Of course if you plan to drive your vehicle more than 12,000 miles a
year, or keep it longer than three years, you may want the peace of
mind
that comes with a DaimlerChrysler Service Contract. It takes care of
repairs or other services that may be necessary after the expiration of your original limited warranty coverage.

Service Contract plans can be purchased for a variety of times and mileage. For details, see your Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep dealer, visit
www.servicecontracts.chrysler.com or call 1-800-442-2666.

Thank you for your interest in our products.

My poor 98 XJ (2dr sport) is getting close to death at this point (320,000+ km, many on deact-roads & trails). Not to mention it is a pig on fuel, but looking for a suitable replacement is tough.

Personally the Liberty is a bit on the girly side for me dispite the reasonable features and capabilites. However with gas prices the way they are and the power & fuel advantage of the Liberty
D, it is near the top of my list for future purchase. BUT!! It won't be my next car until they pair up a manual with the diesel. Just because Yuppies don't know how to drive stick dosn't mean Im going to give it up. Something about having a slush-box takes away from the whole driving experiance.

As far as other cars featured with the diesel I encourage it; better mileage, longer range & gobs of torque, not to mention diesel is also better for water-proofing. how can you go wrong? Why not offer a standard diesel option on every model.

Anyway, thats my opinion. Anybody know when they plan to offer up the
D with a manual... if ever?

What do you care about warranties for anyway? If you mod your Jeep or 'wheel it remotely hard, they'll most likely turn down your request for warranty work (and blacklist you, too) anyway, so what difference does it make if it's 3/36 or 7/70?

I blew my warranty on my first TJ within 48 HOURS of owning it. It got a 4" lift, 33's, lockers and skids - then a healthy beating on a trailride the next weekend. Warranty? Like D/C would honor it after what I'd done to it.... Gimmie a break.

My next TJ remained stock for 2 years before I even put a skidplate on it. Neither Jeep had ANY mechanical issues for their first 85K miles (so a 7/70 wouldn't have mattered then, either).

To the guy who said he'll jump into an Exterra - good. You don't deserve to drive a Jeep. You haven't earned the right to. Go enjoy your Nissan and stay off the trails.

After a lot of Web searching, I found this Spanish link:

http://www.km77.com/marcas/jeep/2005/grandcherokee/gama/t01.asp

There, the 3.0L
D (Common Rail Diesel) JGC is said to achieve a mean fuel economy of 9.9 l / 100 km, which translates
to 23.759 mpg.

According to http://www.wkjeeps.com/wk_production.htm,
production of the this version, for export, began on May 2.

As for DHS, I understand that it's been cancelled for 2005, but a
representative from www.jeep.com assured me it would be available for 2006.

I work for a Chrysler dealer. We have got the word that 2006 models will only have 3/36. The reason for the change is that very few customer buy the vehicles due to the warranty. that is what Chrysler is saying. Bad idea.

Terry, Is the C.R.D. all that DCX made it out to be?

Is it better/same/worse, than the Media reports of Euro models?

How is cold starting, mileage, acceleration and noise???

Inquiring minds want to know

Regarding the Grand Cheokee Diesel, I would buy one if they offered it. I have the new Jeep
D diesel and love it. I have added it to my DC collection of fine cars. I also own a 1979 Mercedes 240 D with 350,000 trouble free miles and a 1999 Mercedes E300 Turbo Diesel with 120,000 trouble free miles.

Keep the Diesels coming!

4.2L I-6 w/ 172,000 miles, fire damage @ 140,000
and still going.

I never really liked the 7/70 for a couple reasons. One, it had a deductible. Two, it only did cover the powertrain. I haven't ever had a problem with a DCX/AMC powertrain except once when I was up to 125K miles. I have had several problems with the radio, door panel, windshield wiper assembly, alarm system, and anything plastic over the years. I'm on my second radio and the volume is either almost off or almost full blast, nothing in between.

I may take part of my previous posting back...I had the Service Contract on my current JEEP, and my only regret is that I didn't extend it to 150,000 miles...

If removing the 7/70 powertrain protection makes the Service Contract more affordable, then purchasing the top-line S/C with a $250 deductible would be a better deal than paying an inflated price on a JEEP for a warranty that only covers 7 major components.

The Diesel sounds great, too bad DC will not have it as the $200.00 option as it is in Europe. As for the end of the 7/70 power train warranty when others have longer ones does not bode well for Jeep. Chrysler started this in '63 and had several variations over the years (my '94 Wrangler had a 12 month/12 bumper to bumper and 7/70 power train).

Jeep brand sales improved 1 percent to 40,547 units, compared to sales of 38,667 units during April 2004. Sales of the Jeep brand were powered by the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee which posted sales of 18,436 units, an increase of 16 percent compared to previous year sales of 15,301.

If the only way they sell JEEP is because of a warranty...Oh, Well..Good enough for the "masses" who buy new vehicles. My 3 Jeeps are Yrs beyond any warranty coverage..and mileage..So I could CARE LESS! MY Jeeps never broke yet anyway..because they're simple!..YJ 2.5 AMC..XJ 4.0 AMC...ZJ 5.2 Mopar...best engines ever..Keep the fancy twin cam garbage to yourselves.....

It may have been wiser to raise the price of the Liberty, Grand Cherokee, and Commander by $2000 to cover the cost of the warranty. This way they could better compete (a lot of people may shy away from the DCX vehicles since the Korean manufacturers offer 10/100,000 warranties standard). There is a huge difference between 3/36,000 and 10/100,000!

But what is the fuel economy of the JGC with the Diesel engine? The article doesn't say! And why a six cylinder? An eight cylinder Diesel would be a lot smoother.

Great news -- if this is the new 3.0 v6 diesel being sold throughout the world, then expect torque approximating that of the hemi with the fuel enconomy of a small v6. Now, if we can just convince DC to put the 2.7 crd and six speed manual into the Wrangler and Lib we should see much improved off-road low-end torque and on-road fuel economy and performance. I don't understand why DC won't offer us that great new six speed manual in the diesel configuration.

What the hell??!!!

They consider every vehicle except the one that really should get it.

The Wrangler is the best candidate for a diesel. Why is it the last on the Jeep list??