Jeep Liberty

The Jeep Liberty (KJ/KK), or Jeep Cherokee (KJ/KK) outside North America, is a compact SUV produced by the Jeep marque of Chrysler. It was introduced for 2002 with styling inspired by the Dakar[1] and Jeepster[2] concept cars. The Liberty, nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award for 2002, was intended as a replacement for the discontinued Jeep Cherokee (XJ). The Liberty is priced between the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. It was the smallest of the 4-door Jeep SUVs up until the 4-door Compass and Patriot arrived for 2007.

70 percent of Liberty buyers are new to the Jeep marque.[citation needed]

It is assembled at the Toledo North Assembly factory in Toledo, Ohio.

First generation KJ (2002–2007)

Three trim levels were offered for the Jeep Liberty: the top end Limited, a more rugged looking Renegade, or the base Sport. All are available with either 2WD or 4WD. In 2007, the Renegade trim level was replaced with the Latitude that appears to focus on a more urban appearance.

The Liberty was the first Jeep to use two new PowerTech engines, the 150 hp 2.4 L I4, dropped in 2006, and the 210 hp 3.7 L V6. A VM Motori 2.8 L I4 common rail turbodiesel became available in CRD branded 2005–2006 Sport and Limited models. The diesel utilized a variable geometry turbocharger and generated 160horsepower (120kW) and 295 pound-feet of torque. The overbuilt nature of the diesel powerplant added nearly 200 pounds to the CRD's curb weight versus the gasoline model. DaimlerChrysler introduced the CRD to gauge the marketability of diesel engines in North America; diesels are already common in Europe. Jeep exceeded their expectations by selling 10,000 Liberty CRD models in the first calendar year of sales.

Only available in 2005 and 2006 for the Sport and Limited models, the 2.8L VM Motori CRD has since been discontinued due to stricter 2007 United States diesel emission standards. Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, and California had already banned sale of the vehicle due to their rigid state emissions regulations. A 3.0L CRD engine, based on a Mercedes-Benz BlueTec design, is still in production for the Jeep Grand Cherokee.