Jeep's long-awaited replacement for its aging Cherokee model – the Liberty – will be revealed at the Detroit auto show in January of 2001.
Liberty will fit between Cherokee and Grand Cherokee in price as well as size, and all three models will be available until Cherokee disappears in the summer of 2002.
According to various sources, the DaimlerChrysler engineers seem to have done a lot to maintain the robust nature of Jeep's reputation, making it very rugged and capable off-road. Those sources also say that Liberty's fairly heavy and high, making it feel somewhat like the Land Rover Discovery when it's moving. When that allusion to Land Rover was made, Jeep's engineers were quick to make the point that the quality would certainly be better. That height issue will be useful for people who need extra headroom, but it also contributes to a greater centre of gravity.
An effort seems to have been made to replicate a sense of the Jeep TJ's appearance in the seven-slit vertical grille, oval headlamps, and the body-side mounting of the aerial.
Those sources say the wheel flares are black on the base model but the upscale model are body-colored. There's lots of a brushed aluminum look on the dash, with white gauges, and leather is available.
The rear tailgate hinges open from the passenger side, and the rear glass flips up so you don't have to open the door if you don't want to, or can't.
There will probably be two engine choices to start – a 2.4-litre inline-4 and a 3.7-litre V6.