Jeep Grand Cherokee Moose Test Battle Rages On

Without batting an eye, Swedish magazine Teknikens Varld published a rebuttal to Chrysler’s swift rebuke slapped on the once again infamous “moose test.”

With a generally unassuming worldwide presence, the publication sits dead center in a spotlight that has to feel more like Superman’s laser vision than a Broadway stage. Chrysler attacked the moose test’s credibility in a short press release, calling it an extreme maneuver that isn’t sanctioned by any regulatory body.

As much as the official press statement delivered a written flogging to both the magazine and its test, there was still more to come. On Chrysler’s official blog, Chrysler senior communications vice president Gualberto Ranieri loosed a venomous post called “The Sting of Truth.”

Ranieri uses The Sting, a movie starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, to call the folks at Teknikens Varld unprofessional cheaters. He says the Grand Cherokee’s original test was a setup and goes so far as to label it criminal.

“Expect the magazine to maintain its innocence, even though its editors have been caught red-handed. Because the truth doesn’t just hurt. It stings,” he wrote.

Rather than backing down and hoping the global auto giant doesn’t unleash legal hell, the Swedes released a response, defending its moose test and flinging new mud in Chrysler’s face.

The latest piece says that during the Chrysler supervised second set of tests, the Grand Cherokee’s tires were pried from the rims seven times. As things heat up, this is starting to look like an even nastier editorial boxing match than Sniff Petrol and Lotus had earlier this year.

We’ve spoken to our sources inside Chrysler and are expecting a response very soon, so check back for an update.