Daimler Chrysler is offering two new diesel passenger cars - the Jeep Liberty CRD for 2005 and the Mercedes-Benz E 320 CDI for the U.S. Market. And they're a hit with customers: The planned yearly output of 3,000 E 320 CDI vehicles for the U.S. was already completely sold out five months after the sales launch, and by the end of the year this figure will have been markedly increased.

Combine legendary Jeep off-road capability with state-of-the-art search and rescue technology; the Jeep Rescue is designed to reach areas in the harshest, most daunting mountainous and desert areas.

"Diesel & the U.S." is a dream combination for automotive engineers. Many drivers in the U.S. prefer vehicles with high torques and towing capacities - for off road driving, for instance, or for towing heavy loads. And these are exactly the advantages that a diesel engine offers.

Diesel passenger cars don't even account for a one-percent market share in U.S market unlike in Western Europe, where diesel consumption account for 43 percent of all newly registered passenger cars. Many associate diesel with attributes like "sluggish," "noisy," "soot-belching" and "foul-smelling" - a judgment based on experiences with the diesel passenger cars that were still fairly common sights on America's streets and highways in the 1980s.

The cruising range of the Mercedez Benz E320 CDI and its low fuel consumption is typical of diesel engines: 7.3 liters per 100 kilometers (measured according to the NEDC), which corresponds to a respectable 40 mpg. In comparison, the E 320 equipped with a gasoline engine uses 9.9 liters per 100 kilometers (30 miles per one gallon of gasoline). The high efficiency of the diesel, which has never been matched by other internal combustion engines, simultaneously ensures wide-ranging mobility and savings on the part of consumers.

The same advantages goes to the Jeep Liberty CRD. The four-cylinder 2.8-liter turbo diesel with common-rail direct injection (CRD) has the torque of an eight-cylinder; its 160 hp delivers acceleration like a six-cylinder; but in terms of fuel consumption the engine is very minimal, even by four-cylinder standards. The values are 22 mpg for city driving and 27 mpg on the highway. Compared to the vehicle's 3.7-liter, six-cylinder gasoline-engine variants with comparable performance, the Liberty CRD's diesel delivers fuel savings amounting to a hefty 30 percent. Especially this year, when gasoline prices have also increased sharply in the U.S., the two economical diesel variants from DaimlerChrysler are appearing at the ideal time.

The Jeep Liberty CRD and the E 320 CDI operate according to the common-rail principle, which has since been further improved.

Compared to the gasoline engine, the diesel offers several advantages: A diesel engine emits about 20 percent less carbon dioxide (CO2), and its hydrocarbon (HC) emissions are lower than those of comparable gasoline engines. Yet, the fact remains that a diesel still emits more nitrogen oxides (NOx) and soot particles.

Complete with a fold-flat windshield, retractable backlights and four removable doors, the Rescue concept provides a hint at the future of Jeep styling and functionality. To shop for Jeep Liberty CRD parts, online stores come handy with all sorts of parts needed for your vehicle. One of the most trusted and reliable online stores is Parts Train. Access http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/JEEP and you're on your way to top quality and affordable Jeep Parts.

Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for research on cars and anything and everything about it. She works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the country today.