• Offer durability, smooth "gasoline engine-like" performance, and exceptional torque that is great for city driving and highway passing.
The good news is that such an engine already exists. It's called a diesel.
Almost half of all new cars sold in Europe have diesel engines-60 percent in France and Spain. Plus, diesel engines can be found in:
• Virtually all cruise ships and sea freighters
• All freight rail locomotives and many passenger trains
• Ninety-five percent of all emergency vehicles, such as fire engines and ambulances, and all public transit buses, and
• Ninety-one percent of all heavy trucks and 60 percent of all school buses, which transport 14 million kids each day. Experts say there's good reason for this popularity. For starters, diesels are fuel efficient. It's estimated that if everyone drove a diesel-powered vehicle, the U.S. would save at least two billion barrels of crude oil each year.
It's estimated that most drivers could buy a new car with the money they're likely to save in fuel costs over their lifetime-at least $30,000, or $500 each year.
Plus, it's likely the engine will outlast gasoline counterparts by tens of thousands of miles and won't need conventional tune-ups -only oil and filter changes.
Also, there's the convenience factor: more than one-third of all filling stations in the U.S. now offer diesel fuel.
This year, the Chrysler Group becomes the first North American-based manufacturer to offer a modern diesel engine in this market-the 2005 Jeep® Liberty CRD.
The Jeep Liberty's clean-running 2.8 liter diesel engine will offer drivers the torque of a V-8, the acceleration of a V-6 and the fuel economy of a four-cylinder engine. It has a driving range of up to 500 miles between refueling stops.
It's expected that the vehicle will be received warmly by diesel enthusiasts. There is a group of passionate diesel loyalists who have owned the Dodge Ram Cummins turbo diesel, an older Mercedes diesel product or one of the offerings from one of Chrysler's competitors.
To learn more, visit the Web site at www.jeep.com/liberty.
Almost half of all new cars sold in Europe have diesel engines-60 percent in France and Spain.
