While at a local dealership today, the better half choosing options to order up an '04 Durango (I really tried but failed to convince her we needed another 3500), but according to all the folks I talked to there I was informed that DC had no intentions of offering them with a CTD at any point in the future. Not even in the whats to be released as a completely re-worked Grand Cherokee (details are very scarce) will have a diesel option. She was actually disappointed as well, but at least she did demand the hemi.

Before I commit another mortgage payment's worth of car payments and complete the order has anyone heard anything to the contrary in the near future? It'd be worth hanging on to her '98 GC for another year or so if there is a ray of hope of getting a CTD Durango or GC.

 

The grand cherokee is sold with a 3.1diesel over here. Rumours are that they want to offer a bigger diesel as an option.
I don't know whether they want to sell this stuff in the US.

AlpineRAM

 

Not too long ago, I saw some info about Cummins having designed both a v-6 and a v-8. They put the v-6 into the Durango and the v-8 into a Ram 1500. If I remember right, they showed performance specs also. I will have to do some searching and see if I can dig it up again. It was VERY interesting.

 

Well, it looks like the web page no longer exists. Here is the link that I found though Yahoo:

August 2003 (PDF)
... Cummins/DOELight Truck CleanDiesel EngineProgress ReportAugust 2003DEER20032Technical Program Overview ... Partially Meets Goal; Plan in PlaceV6V8EmissionsNoise, dBa72.7, Bare Engine ...
http://www.orau.gov/deer/presentatio...20DEER2003.pdf - 155k - View as html

I'm pretty sure that this was what I looked at because it seems very familiar. I knew I should've saved it on my computer.

 

jlasich - Thanks for the 'atttempted research'

Too bad they won't deliver the 3.1/Cherokee's here...
But since it doesn't appear that DC is gonna fess up to anything on the 05's at all... paranoid of being duplicated or something i 'spose....we know there is no duplication for the CTD. Since no diesel apparent on the horizon and she's already picked out her colors and options.....looks like she'll be the 5.7 Hemi Durango.... have to give her credit for demanding the Hemi and not willing to settle for anything less.

 

http://autoshow.edmunds.com/news/aut.....leftnav.21.*

That link work?

"As its name implies, the Rescue is geared toward aiding the likes of firefighters, park rangers and ski resort personnel. And as its exterior proportions imply, it's a response to GM's Hummer H2. A long 123-inch wheelbase provides plenty of room within the vehicle for supplies and/or injured folks (four of them, anyway, in addition to the driver), while a relatively narrow body and 37-inch tires with run-flat capability allow the Rescue to reach those in need.

A brawny Cummins turbodiesel with 325 horsepower and a staggering 600 pound-feet of torque, along with remote winches, should allow the Rescue to tackle challenging terrain and help extricate vehicles that don't share its off-road prowess. Other features that enable the Rescue to deal with almost any emergency regardless of weather or terrain include point-of-view cameras on the underside of the vehicle that help the driver judge the demands of the terrain, and on-board tire pressure control that allows the driver to adjust the tire pressure for optimal grip while seated inside. A navigation system offers 3-D topographical mapping so that occupants can get an accurate read on the trails ahead. Rounding out the list of technology is an on-board satellite telephone, VHF radio, a digital video recorder with satellite transmission capability and white LEV lighting for long-distance visual searches.

But the Rescue isn't all about serious endeavors. Removable doors and a folding windshield make it a fun-loving adventure vehicle as well. Chrysler executives suggest it as a possible next step up for a Wrangler owner who needs more room.

What's Edmunds' Take?

Emergency rescue teams and others looking for a highly maneuverable powerhouse will probably have a Pavlovian response to this rig. Alternatively, if you're a Jeep enthusiast who'd like to stick it to the H2 owner down the street, you may be drooling all the more. In either case, you may want to start writing letters to Jeep requesting a production version. — John DiPietro and Erin Riches"

Sounds like it'd be fun as heck, but expensive too.