It's no secret that Chrysler has some diesels in its future, specifically for its truck and SUV lineup. CEO Sergio Marchionne has already publicly said that the Jeep Grand Cherokee will be getting a diesel option soon, possibly for the 2014 model year. We've also spied some Ram 1500s stopping and filling at the green-handle pump lately, indicating Ram may be the first to market with a diesel half-ton truck, as well.
In an indication of the next step of bringing new diesel models to the U.S. market, Chrysler recently filed a trademark for an 'EcoDiesel' logo and word mark. With '3.0L' as part of the design, it looks like it's specifically for the 3.0-liter V-6 that will be offered in the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and if the test mules are an indication, the Ram 1500 as well.
In the application, it's clear that Chrysler is not claiming exclusive rights to the terms 'Eco', 'Diesel' or '3.0L' apart from their use together in the word mark. We can think of some other automakers, domestic and foreign, that might have some issues with that.
To highlight the environmental benefits of clean diesel technologies, the word mark is decorated with a leaf at the leading left edge of the logo. There were no claims for color use, but it's probably a safe assumption that green may be used for the leaf color, and possibly blue for either 'Eco' or 'Diesel.'
The engine itself is expected to be Fiat's VM Motori 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel, which has been reported to produce in the neighborhood of 240 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Official output figures for U.S. models will be announced closer to the on-sale dates of the vehicles, with some announcement possibly forthcoming at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.