JEEPCherokee/Liberty 2007 - 2012

　　Jeep tried to make a breakthrough in the compact SUV market with the Liberty/Cherokee. After the successful XJ model, which was produced between 1984 and 2001, its successors were not so trustworthy when it came to hard off-road. The 2007 model came to fix that. But it didn't.

　　The second generation of the Liberty shared its platform with the Dodge Nitro. It featured a different styling with the specific, seven slats, grille. The flat and big headlights with mounted behind the bumper resembled those found on the Jeep Commander, which was another flop on sales. The rugged appearance was amplified by the black door handles with big buttons and the black door-mirrors. In the back, the flat tailgate with an independent open for the rear window was a good feature for transporting long items or to drop something inside from shopping without opening the entire liftgate.

　　Inside, the two-tone dashboard was matched by the colors used on the door panels. Like the Dodge, Liberty was not fitted with the best quality materials. The idea was to be able to wash all the trims with a hose. Beware of the CD-player slot though! The car offered seating for five adults. In the luggage area, a covered special compartment under the trunk floor allowed the storage of wet items without ruining the whole interior of the car.

　　From the technical point of view, the Liberty was fitted with a 3.7-liter V6 engine mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. Like the Dodge, the Cherokee was offered in Europe with a 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine supplied by WM Motori mated to a 5-speed automatic. Unfortunately, neither version was offered with a low-range gear for true off-road.

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