Turbocharged technology is nothing new, but Ford has made a big deal out of it with the incredibly-good line of EcoBoost engines. The company has done a great job with its marketing no doubt. The EcoBoost moniker has reached saturation level, certainly within the enthusiast community, but also by the general public. Ford has filed a trademark for the name and it should be an enduring part of its brand image for years to come.
Diesel engines are nothing new either, but Chrysler is looking to get some marketing mileage out of them as well via a trademarked branding effort. The news comes via the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Motor Authority searched and found that Chrysler has filed a trademark for the “EcoDiesel” name.
Thanks to its partnership with Fiat, Chrysler has some diesel engines in the works that it hopes will become a weapon in its arsenal. The filing comes with a “3.0L” designation, and that coincides with reports about Chrysler’s first diesel unit – a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder. The engine would likely first do duty in the Jeep Grand Cherokee – it is already sold in international markets with that engine. The engine is slated to arrive next January, as a model year 2014. It was supposed to arrive as a 2013, but delays with Chrysler’s new ZF-developed eight-speed automatic have pushed it back.
The diesel Grand Cherokee returns 23 city and 33 mpg highway as is; with the eight-speed unit we should see a nice boost for the North American-bound model. The engine is expected to produce 241 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. While not many manufacturers offer diesels in the U.S right now, Chevrolet is preparing to launch one and Volkswagen has reported strong demand for its TDI models. The Grand Cherokee has been a huge hit for Jeep, and we could see the diesel model doing well.
