This commercial is moving. This is what America needs — a comeback to the reality of John Rich’s song, “Shutting Detroit Down.” Commercials to remind us that we can be the best; that we are the best when are at our best. It’s like this commercial isn’t just for Jeep, it’s inspiration for all American car manufacturers. For so long America has been playing catch-up — coming out with automobiles that rival our foreign competitors and not developing those that our foreign competitors revere. Jeep, however, has never been the runner-up when it comes to ingenuity and tough perceptions. The Hummer is tough, but not as tough as a Jeep Wrangler.
The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has won my respect in the SUV category. The only problem, though, is the lack of an alternative fuel engine. Times have changed and we can’t keep producing mainstream-fuel motors. The Ford Escape Hybrid gets mileage in the low 30s. Maybe a hybrid doesn’t quite say Jeep like the folks at Chrysler Corp. wishes it did, but what about diesel? Diesel screams tough. It says, “I will pee all over that gas motor with a battery pack you call a hybrid and take your girl while doing it. Now what?!” It also says fuel efficiency. Just ask Chrysler’s old foster parents, Mercedes. They already have a pretty decent diesel engine in the all-time favorite Sprinter. Although it brings in mpgs in the mid to high 20s [while being a 273-inch utility van mind you], that’s still somewhere around 5 miles more per gallon than the standard Jeep Grand Cherokee engine. As smart as Detroit’s engineers are I am sure that a few tweaks from Chrysler can yield a few more miles per gallon out of that diesel without sacrificing power. Come on, we’re America. We ran trains off of water in the first half of the 20th century. We can do it.
Though the commercial above is amazing, the next Grand Cherokee commercial should be about American families doing typical American family vacation stuff like going to the Grand Canyon while highlighting its better fuel economy than most vehicles in its class. People need to think about SUVs again as a possible family vehicle without reverting to a larger fuel-efficient car like the Toyota Camry. It might not be a perfect motor, but it is better than that of most SUVs.
Good job, Chrysler Corp. If people actually buy the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, you might just have put American sport utes back on the map.
Tags: alternative fuel, America, Chrysler, commercials, Detroit, diesel, Dodge, electric, Escape, Ford, fuel economy, gas, Grand Cherokee, Hummer, hybrid, Jeep, John Rich, Mercedes, mpg, Sprinter, SUV, Wrangler
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