Off road behavior is a tiny fraction of what most buyers use their Grand Cherokees for. But off-roaders have figured out that while horsepower is great for racing, torque is more practical for the rest of us. We drove an example of the Grand Cherokee CRD in California , to test its ability on U.S. city streets and highways. And our conclusion is stated in the first sentence above: This car needs to be available in the U.S.

From a stoplight, the CRD growls softly as it launches forward, feeling almost quicker than a gasoline 4.7-liter V-8 Grand Cherokee.