THE first Jeep model to provide the combination of a diesel engine and automatic transmission goes on sale next month following the UK debut of the 3.1-litre Turbo Diesel version of the big-selling Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The all-new five-cylinder Turbo Diesel Grand Cherokee is fitted as standard with a sophisticated four-speed automatic transmission and goes on sale in November with an on-the-road price of £30,995 to complete the UK line-up of the American manufacturer's luxurious four-wheel-drive range.

Built in Graz, Austria, and equipped with an all-new five-cylinder engine produced by VM Motori in Italy, this latest Grand Cherokee model joins the 4.0-litre and muscular 4.7-litre V8 petrol engine models which have given Jeep's flagship range a flying start in the UK. The 3.1-litre TD model is expected to create a further boost in demand for the luxurious Jeep models but also to account for a significant proportion of those Grand Cherokee sales.

Story date: Wednesday 27 October

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.