SPY PHOTOS: Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD

Minor restyling for 2008MY

Cold weather, heavy snow, and slippery roads. What better place to test out Jeep’s famous all-weather traction than in northern Scandinavia near the Norwegian border. And so that’s where Jeep has gone to test its new Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with the CRD Diesel engine.

This prototype is clearly identified on the tailgate as being a Limited model, and having the CRD diesel engine. The engine has 3.0 liters of displacement, and is built by Mercedes-Benz. Fuel economy is improved by 30 percent as compared to gasoline engines, giving the CRD model a range of about 450 miles on a tank of diesel fuel. The latest clean diesel technology also improves CO2 emissions by 20%.

The prototype in the photos appears to have a slightly restyled front bumper, which eliminates the protruding shoulders on each side under the headlights, and instead has a smooth front end. The lower area of the bumper also appears to be more rounded in shape. The new front bumper will likely be part of a very minor restyling for the 2008 model year. The prototype also has 7-spoke wheels which are new, as compared to the variety of 5-spoke wheels currently offered on the 2007 Grand Cherokee.