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D6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, May 16, 2001 A jeep that lives `in the middle of the lineup' By Rob B e in te m a crank the wheel hard left. The nose dips over the edge. Four-wheel drive in `Lo', the groaning engine brakes downhill speed to a crawl as the Liberty slithers down the embankment and splashes into the stream. Back on the gas, a bow wave vee-ing from the sides of the sport ute as I chug across the river. Then, tires clawing at the opposite bank, water streaming from the wheels and up we go. Climbing and climbing, nothing but blue sky in the windshield, hard right, leveling off, branches and leaves scraping the sides as I squeeze between the trail markers, thump over the bumps and head back into the Virginia back country. "Yup," I mutter to myself. "This is a Jeep." I was test-driving the all-new 2002 Jeep Lib erty, a model that was unveiled earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show as an all-new replacement for the Jeep Cherokee. I'm not going to get into a detailed history les son here - you know how the original Jeep stepped out of its wartime role and soldiered on in heroic fashion as a go-anywhere vehicle that captured the essence of an alternative lifestyle. When the Cherokee was introduced in the early '80s, it practically created the sport ute phe nomena - a new class of vehicles that evolved with constant refinement, spawning a luxury class lineup headed by the Grand Cherokee. Cherokee carried on relatively unchanged in that lineup. And, when you think about it, the past generation Cherokee is really just an old ver sion of the Grand Cherokee. Almost 125,000 were sold in Canada over the last 15 years but sales numbers were declining. It was time for a change. "We needed a new Jeep, a Jeep that lives in the middle of the lineup where most of us live," said Dave Bostwick, director of market research. Chrysler explored different directions with different models and the new vehicle - original ly labeled the "KJ" until the Liberty name was decided on - borrows heavily from two earlier concepts - the Dakar and the Jeepster. The Liberty is unmistakably Jeep. I think the Liberty successfully blends heredity and contem porary styling. Large round headlights flank the traditional seven-slot Jeep grille. The headlamp shape extends into the hood surface, adding a lit tle character sculpting. Muscular bumper guards, rugged fascias and Jeep-issue trapezoidal fender flares add presence to the solid stance. Building on the Dakar theme, the upright architecture, rear mounted spare and short front and rear overhangs make a strong offroad-ability statement. · Under the skin, the Liberty blends uni-frame construction that has pro duced "the stiffest Jeep body done to date" with a new independent front suspension, a link coil rear suspension similar to Grand Cherokee's and - for the first time in a Jeep - power rackand-pinion steering for precise han dling and excellent on-road manners. Yes, on-road. Highways, country roads and suburban streets are, after all, where most Jeeps are actually dri ven, and the 2002 Liberty is a very pleasant cruiser, one of the smoothest sport utility vehicles I have ever tested. The Liberty is larger in every dimension. There's more room inside for people and their stuff. Rear door openings are forty percent larger and the doors open more fully for easier access. Inside, the Liberty is roomy, com fortable and handsome. I particularly liked the brushed metal highlights of the upscale version. Others preferred the muted tones of the base model interior. Under the hood, the Jeep Liberty I offers a choice of two engines. The main choice for this vehicle should be the optional new 3.7L V6, an engine inspired by the 4.7L V8 in Grand Cherokee. The 3.7L makes a class-leading 210 hp at 5200 rpm and 235 lb-ft of peak torque. It's a strong and smooth powerplant, especially when mated to the 45RFE automatic transmission. The Jeep Liberty's standard engine is the 2.4L PowerTech 14 that makes 150 hp. The 2.4L 4cylinder, available in other Chrysler products like Sebring and the PT Cruiser, is a willing but somewhat weight-encumbered engine in this application and, together with a standard 5-speed transm ission, makes the Liberty feel more "trucky". The 4-cylinder base version will not come out until later in the model year. If you like milking the power with high revs and late shifting, fine, but I would stick with the V6, given a choice. Chrysler expects most of its sales to be of the initial offering, featuring the 3.7L V6 and auto matic transmission, available by June. Only four-wheel drive versions will be offered in Canada in a choice of two trim levels - Sport and Limited Edition. The two models are immediately identifiable. The Sport carries non-painted slate gray bumpers and cladding while Limited versions are body- colored monotone. Standard equipment in the Sport includes dual airbags, console, 12V power outlets, 65/35 split folding rear seat, 16" wheels, child door locks, etc. I wouldn't exactly describe the Sport as heavily-equipped but there are some thoughtful features inspired from Chrysler's minivans. The tailgate features two-stage opening - lift up glass and swing out door. But the patented flipper-style rear glass is spring-loaded. A small tug on the (See `Turn' on page D5) $ d d O d d F I V E S T A R C E R T I F I E D & & & 3 &FIVE STAR CERTIFIED ft ft ft ft ft© $ a (U CLOSED Come & Browse GLENLEVEN the dealership over the weekend, all vehicles sticker priced. See us Tuesday, May 22, to make a deal. O © © I Saturday, S May 19-21. O Tire Rotation & Balance Special 1A d ju s t tire pressure to fa cto ry specifications 1Inspect fo r tire w e a r 1 Precision-balance fo u r wheels (weights included) 1 Rotate tires ' V isually inspect brakes an d all suspension components © J TM £ O m 9 < Open 2 again e Tuesday, May 22 D C 30 in O akville U96V 2001 2001 Keepin' it real. VOLKSW AGEN PARTS & SERVICE Plus tax where applicable. Please present coupon a t time o f write-up. N o t to be com bined w ith other offers. N o t redeemable fo r advertised specials, previous purchases, o r cash. 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