Owners of Jeep Libertys equipped with the late 2.8L four cylinder turbo diesel engine may now have the chance to pick up a spare engine at what will likely be a rock bottom price. In fact, why stop at just one when there are 158 engines available at auction? That's right, the Jeep factory in Toledo, Ohio has got a surplus of unused engines just sitting on pallets collecting dust. We all know how much Chrysler could use the extra cash right about now, so the extra engines have got to go. Prospective buyers can click here to go to the GoIndustry-DoveBid auction site to see how to get in touch with the right person. Although the auction listing is extremely lacking in details, we wonder if Chrysler is looking to offload all of these engines as a single lot or if it's willing to seperate them. Hmm, we wonder... did a bunch of warranties just expire? Thanks for the tip, r p!

[Source: DoveBid.com]

When Jeep cancelled the diesel engine option for the Liberty, there was great wailing and gnashing of teeth, at least from the scribes here at AutoblogGreen. The diesel engine option was actually a bit of a surprise hit for Chrysler, and there is still a market of offroaders clamoring for the engine. We've now heard a rumor that, to help meet this pent-up demand, Jeep is considering offering an engine package to convert Jeep TJ's, YJ's and CJ's from gasoline to diesel using the same 2.8 CRD engine that was available in the Liberty. The kit is said to be complete and include everything needed to perform the swap.

While this is indeed good to hear, we still wish that Jeep would go the extra step to certify this engine for new vehicle sales again and offer it as a factory option for the Wrangler, Wrangler Unlimited and Liberty.

[Source: 4wdandsportutility via JeepNewsNow]

Click on the photo for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Grand Cherokee

This week at the New York Auto Show, Jeep will be unveiling the updated 2008 Grand Cherokee that for the first time will get a diesel engine option. On the outside there are some detail design changes, which you have to look really close to see. The important changes are under the hood, where a new more powerful and efficient flex-fuel, twin spark-plug version of the 4.7L V-8 can be exchanged with a Mercedes 3.0L common rail diesel V-6. It looks like at least for this year, the Grand Cherokee won't be getting the BlueTec system on the diesel, so it will likely only be available in 45 states. We'll have the full scoop on the diesel Grand Cherokee on Wednesday from New York. The Jeep press release is after the jump.

[Source: Jeep]

Today at the Washington DC Auto Show, Chrysler finally announced the pricing and availability of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD. Their first "full sized" diesel will go on sale in March and range from $38,475 for the 4x2 Limited model to $45,395 for the 4x4 Overland. Diesel powered Grand Cherokees have been available in Europe for many years but this is the first time you could buy one in the US market. Unlike the VM Motori engine previously offered in the Liberty, this 3.0L V-6 is built by Mercedes-Benz and is essentially the same engine used in a variety of Mercedes models.

The clean diesel is rated at 215hp and 376 lb-ft of torque, while getting 20/25 mpg city/highway for the two-wheel drive models. The four-wheel drive versions lose one mpg on the highway. The strong low end twist of the diesel allows for a towing capacity of 7,400 lbs while the a full tank can stretch for 450 miles. Like the Cummins diesel powered Ram pickups, the Grand Cherokee will leave the assembly plant filled with a B5 biodiesel blend. The Chrysler press release is after the jump.

[Source: Chrysler]

If you still can't get over the cancellation of the diesel Jeep Liberty, perhaps this news will cheer you up a little. Jeep is advertising its new 2007 Compass as a fuel-efficient alternative to SUVs and is targeting non-traditional Jeep buyers. The 2007 Compass gets 30 mpg and will be driven by nothing but bobbleheads (at least, that's the world the commercials will portray). You can kind of feel the youth marketing arm in Jeep's "Keep It Moving" slogan for the Compass. One of Jeep's four new TV spots emphasizes the 30-mpg rating, but also includes a creepy bobblehead squirrel.

[Source: Chrysler Group]