2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel, the espresso shot: Motoramic Drives

Most automakers wax eloquent about the need for efficiency — all eco-boost this and green-blue-drive that. While the conversations sound commendable, it doesn’t take long to figure out the impetus comes not from a green-hearted longing for Mother Earth, but the dictates of Uncle Sam.

As U.S. fuel economy standards march toward new heights, automakers have scrambled to put their greenest efforts forward. BMW has temporarily shelved its fuel cell technology in favor of the upcoming i-Series electric cars, a business Nissan flogs through the Leaf EV, while GM counters with its Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid platform. For Chrysler and its Jeep and Ram trucks and SUVs, the answer appears to be diesels — baptised by marketing-speak into models like this, the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel

The reason? Fiat already makes some of the best small diesel engines on the planet. Their 1.5-L turbos found in the Panda already zip more Italians around on a daily basis than dark roast espresso shots. With no real hybrid platform to fall back on, Fiat has elected to bestow Jeep with its diesel know-how (although the 500e provides a solid EV platform should Fiat ever choose to expand their realm of zero-emission vehicles outside of California).