While Chrysler ’s Jeep brand is one of the few marques to offer a diesel option in the U.S. — the last generation Liberty was available with an oil burner, as is the current Grand Cherokee — the Jeep Wrangler has never been offered with a diesel option. But for those who crave a diesel option in the Wrangler for low-RPM torque, the wait is almost over. Sort of.
According to 4Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine, Jeep Performance — a division of Mopar — will soon begin offering a diesel engine swap kit for the Jeep Wrangler. The kit will reportedly use the same four-cylinder 2.8L unit that was used in the Liberty CRD — which was rated at 160 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque — and will come with its own wiring kit.
In addition to more oomph down low, the 2.8L diesel unit also promises increased fuel economy — in the Liberty CRD it returned 21/26 mpg city/highway.
If the kit proves popular enough, it’s possible that Jeep could offer a diesel-power Wrangler right off the showroom floor in the coming years.
