2008 Jeep Liberty
With its first redesign since it hit the market in 2002, Jeep is giving its Liberty SUV more of a rugged, macho look. Round headlights? Gone, replaced by a new grille/headlight unit that is all one piece, similar to the Jeep Commander's. Round taillights? Gone as well.
The new Liberty is also larger than the vehicle it replaces. In fact, it now rides on the Dodge Nitro's platform, which itself is a stretched version of the previous Liberty’s. Okay, that's kind of confusing. Here's what you need to know: The new Liberty has a 1.8-in.-longer wheelbase, is 2.0 in. longer overall and is 0.5 in. wider than the 2007 model.
The result is more interior room, both for rear-seat passengers (leg room is up by 1.5 in.) and in terms of cargo capacity; other interior improvements include new, more comfortable seats. But the most exciting thing about the new Liberty may very well be its optional Sky Slider full-length canvas roof (which Jeep is calling an "industry-exclusive") that can be opened to various stages via a one-touch switch.
The engine powering the Liberty remains the same cast-iron block, aluminum-head 3.7-liter V-6 with 210 bhp and 235 lb.-ft. of torque. It comes standard with a 6-speed manual transmission, or you can opt for a 4-speed automatic. For the Jeep faithful, the Liberty is still Trail Rated, with a choice of either Command-Trac part-time 4-wheel drive or the new Selec-Trac II full-time 4-wheel-drive system. The Liberty also comes standard with ESP, Electronic Roll Mitigation and All-speed Traction Control.
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2008 Jeep Liberty Limited Photo Gallery
Video: 2008 Jeep Liberty
