2002 Jeep Liberty

An all-new Jeep doesn't hit the trail every day. When one does, it calls for a celebration. Jeep's newest baby, the Liberty, is making its debut against a great deal of entrenched competition. I've just tested the Liberty, and I've come away very impressed.


Jeep's product line in America and Europe has long consisted of three models: the classic short-wheelbase vehicle that "wrote the book on four-wheel drive," the ancient (introduced in 1984) boxy XJ Cherokee, and the luxurious ZJ Grand Cherokee. Few modern vehicles have endured as long as the classic Cherokee without a major redesign.


The SUV landscape has changed radically since 1984—a reality that didn't go unnoticed by Jeep and parent company DaimlerChrysler. In recent years, car-based mini SUVs such as the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CRV have established firm footholds. All that's about to change for people who want the on-road capability of the wannabes, but with the rock-climbing courage of a genuine Jeep.


The Liberty is manufactured in an all-new, state-of-the-art facility near Toledo, Ohio (where Jeeps have been built for decades). Capable of 200,000 units annually, the new plant can build domestic left-hand-drive Libertys; right-hand-drive, diesel-powered models for foreign markets; and is even capable of CKD (completely knocked down, for overseas assembly) production. Jeep spent $1.7 billion on this program, and it took just 29 months from concept approval to new-product launch.