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New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles

Posted by mike on 2007/2/21 19:25:00 (2640) reads

A couple of our readers recently sent us some photos of common rail diesel (CRD) Wrangler test vehicles. Both readers are from the same area of the country, so we suspect they might have both caught the same group of vehicles.

One of the readers noted that the rear lights on the test vehicle are different than the standard Wrangler.

The other reader snapped a photo of the hood of one of the test vehicles - note the custom air scoop (or is it for exhaust?)

UPDATE: 2/25/07 - we just got some more information from one of the guys who took some of the photos, here's what he had to say:

I took the picture in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. Common cold weather test point for many car makers. I didn't drive any of them, I just saw them on behind a hotel and drove up, being a Jeep freak, and snapped some pics. Then one of the guys came out and tried to run me off. He wouldn't answer any real questions but he did say that they "were NOT military, they were something new". He said that's all he could say.

(more after the jump)

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Poster	Thread
indian	Posted: 2007/2/22 11:24 Updated: 2007/2/22 11:24
Just popping in Joined: 2006/10/12 From: Southern Indiana Posts: 8	Re: New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles Don't be too quick to jump on the "Bluetec" bandwagon. A new series of Cummins diesels (little brothers to the series of engines offered in the Dodge Ram) is in the pipeline. No problems at all meeting current or projected federal government emissions standards and will probably run circles around what Daimler has got.

Poster	Thread
01TJ	Posted: 2007/2/22 8:47 Updated: 2007/2/22 8:47
Just can't stay away Joined: 2006/8/25 From: Posts: 71	Re: New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles This may have been discussed on another board but did anyone notice the leaf sprung rear axle? This would be a nice option... CRD and leaf springs! Leafs are so much easier and cheaper to work with.

Poster	Thread
MarkH	Posted: 2007/2/22 9:07 Updated: 2007/2/22 9:07
Home away from home Joined: 2005/7/20 From: The Great White North Posts: 406	Re: New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles An early "mule", perhaps?

Poster	Thread
jason	Posted: 2007/2/21 22:51 Updated: 2007/2/21 22:51
Just can't stay away Joined: 2005/6/30 From: glendale,az Posts: 91	Re: New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles inside source tells me that these have D60 rear axles to handle heavy payloads and a 5 liter dodge sprinter crd motor. I woul think a crd will be avail by 2010

Poster	Thread
snakesausa	Posted: 2007/2/22 16:02 Updated: 2007/2/22 16:02
Not too shy to talk Joined: 2006/8/21 From: Tejas (formerly Texas) Posts: 26	Re: New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles I think that the 5cyl Mercedes is the perfect engine for the Wrangler about 150hp and 250tq and probably about 28mpg. This is a proven engine that is almost as old as the 4.0 HO in the previous wrangler. I do not think that it will be the one offered with the Wrangler in the US given the degrading relationship between them and Daimler. Also, the sprinter changed to a V6 for the 2007 year model. Even though I am in LOVE with the Gladiator if they came out with a Wrangler CRD I would be at the dealership with cash.

Poster	Thread
Josephus	Posted: 2007/2/21 22:31 Updated: 2007/2/21 22:31
Home away from home Joined: 2005/7/18 From: Pennsylvania Posts: 243	Re: New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles Some of the best intentioned engineers are handcuffed by corp policies when a company is struggling or about to be sold. Everything good in developement becomes frozen quickly.

Poster	Thread
tkmd	Posted: 2007/2/21 20:05 Updated: 2007/2/21 20:06
Not too shy to talk Joined: 2006/4/27 From: Posts: 23	Re: New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles These pictures have already been posted on jeepforum.com and have been discussed. It turns out that that they are military vehicles for some middle eastern country. Shame that so many jeep owners are clamoring - if not begging for a CRD wrangler stateside - yet Jeep cant realize this and restricts their sale to overseas. The Jeep brand deserves to be sold to another company. Perhaps some company (even foreign) has better insight than the current designers at DC.

Poster	Thread
sylvanis	Posted: 2007/2/21 21:11 Updated: 2007/2/21 21:11
Just can't stay away Joined: 2006/1/26 From: Posts: 104	Re: New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles Don't be so quick to jump on the "bash DC for no diesel in the Wrangler" bandwagon. I can tell you that I spoke with several engineers at Camp Jeep 06 and they heard a resounding request for CRDs in the new Wranglers. Several of them want to put a CRD in it, however there are a lot of US restrictions on diesel engines. Why do think that the KJ diesels aren't being offered in new models? Was it because the 2.8 was junk? Nope, EPA restrictions etc....hell the 2.8 wasn't even available in all 50 US states. We'll have to wait and see how the BLUETEC in the Grand's do. I too would like to see it, and a V8 option, but it's useless to build them if they can't be sold.

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MarkH	Posted: 2007/2/22 7:13 Updated: 2007/2/22 7:15
Home away from home Joined: 2005/7/20 From: The Great White North Posts: 406	Re: New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles Correct U R! I want a diesel in the JK, too, but I'm in no hurry to be a guinea pig for the new S15 fuel, nor the Bluetec. There are lots of unanswered questions as to what this changeover will mean for engine & emissions systems reliability. And I'm not real excited about having to tote an expendable urea cartridge around! If diesel fuel was cheaper, lots of people would be for it in the U.S., regardless of the (mis)perceptions. But, with many areas selling diesel at a 20% premium, the extra 25% MPGs seems like a wash... Start selling diesel for 20% LESS that gasoline & you'll see California's granola bars come out of the woodwork to clamor for more diesel vehicles in the U.S.!

Poster	Thread
kkanoski	Posted: 2007/2/22 13:21 Updated: 2007/2/22 13:21
Just popping in Joined: 2006/4/24 From: Posts: 13	Re: New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles Yeah, and why is it that diesel is more expensive when it is a less refined product? Maybe because if diesel was less cost and they actually allowed some diesels to be built, you would get %20 less for the cost of the diesel fuel and 20-30% better gas miliage. The consumers would be better, but the big oil would see a decrease in demand. Not to be paranoid, but I think big oil has way too much power in this country and the world. If they had a wrangler crd, I would be at the dealer tomorrow ordering one. And I also would look into bio-diesel as an optioin or supplement to the bought and trucked in gas.

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gladiator	Posted: 2007/2/22 15:00 Updated: 2007/2/22 15:00
Not too shy to talk Joined: 2005/7/26 From: Posts: 39	Re: New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles diesel prices: http://www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf/brochures/diesel/dieselprices2006.html

Poster	Thread
dyg	Posted: 2007/2/23 7:52 Updated: 2007/2/23 7:52
Just popping in Joined: 2006/4/28 From: Metro Atlanta, GA, USA Posts: 10	Re: New Photos of Wrangler CRD Test Vehicles It makes sense that these are military. D60 Axles Euro taillights and front-side markers (meeting the ECE taillight specs) Most Middle-Eastern countries use the ECE vehicle specifications as their own law, usually by reference (rather than creating their own as the US and Canada do). I also previously read a story that indicated that Saudi Arabia (I think) placed a Jeep order specifically because DCX made a 4DR Wrangler. dyg


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