The 2017 Jeep® Grand Cherokee premium mid-size SUV has become just the second gasoline-driven, American-made, American-brand vehicle to qualify for Japan’s Eco-Car tax break. The 2016 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk was first.
Equipped with versions of the award-winning Pentastar V-6 engine, the 2017 Grand Cherokee and its predecessor met the strict fuel-efficiency and emissions standards allowing them to be eligible for the consumer tax incentive – worth between ¥58,000 and ¥66,000 to Grand Cherokee buyers.
The Grand Cherokee that qualifies for Japan’s Eco-Tax incentive is powered by an upgraded version of the Pentastar V-6. The original was named three times to the prestigious list of Wards 10 Best Engines – a globally recognized prize for powertrain engineering.
Among the key elements of the upgraded 213-kW (295-horsepower) is two-step variable valve lift (VVL), which boosts fuel economy and Pentastar’s class-leading refinement.
The system is designed to remain mostly in low-lift mode – until the customer demands more power. Then it responds by switching to high-lift mode, which helps deliver more air to the cylinder.
The result: less overall pumping work.
Cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) reduces emissions, cuts pumping losses and enables knock-free operation at higher loads.
Fuel-saving Engine Stop-Start (ESS) lends additional appeal to the Grand Cherokee, the most-awarded SUV of all time. ESS reduces fuel consumption by shutting off the engine whenever the vehicle comes to a complete stop.
When the driver lifts his/her foot from the brake pedal, the engine restarts automatically. Meanwhile, the vehicle’s radio, gauges, heating/air-conditioning system and other equipment, remain operational.
The smooth-shifting TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission also contributes significantly to the fuel efficiency of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which achieves a 9.6 km/L fuel-efficiency rating in Japan.
The high-tech gearbox is from a family of transmissions available in more than a dozen FCA vehicles. FCA US vehicles that are so-equipped and already on today’s roads are expected to deliver more than $2.5 billion in fuel savings, while conserving more than 700 million gallons of gasoline.
The combined efficiency of the Grand Cherokee’s Pentastar-TorqueFlite pairing is primarily responsible for its 4-Star emissions rating in Japan, a key requirement of the Eco-Car tax incentive program.
Jeep is Japan’s top-selling U.S. vehicle brand. Sales hit a record high of 9,388 in 2016 – a 31.7 percent jump, year-over-year.
These sales figures paralleled Jeep’s performance on the global stage, where the brand recorded 1.42 million sales, for a year-over-year increase of 9 percent.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is produced at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit.