2013 Jeep Liberty?
05-13-2012, 12:27 AM
#1
CF Veteran
Thread Starter
2013 Jeep Liberty?
I saw this on Yahoo! News in the story "12 More New Cars Worth Waiting For". Not sure of the credibility, though.
Originally Posted by Yahoo! News
Jeep has a real conundrum on its hands. Diehard off-roading loyalists want every Jeep to be capable of conquering mule paths and mud bogs. But the RAV4, CR-V, and Santa Fe buyers that Jeep would like to entice don't care about rock-crawling prowess. They care about modern amenities such as hitting 70 mph highway speeds with low noise and vibration and little harshness; carlike handling; and reliability. All-wheel drive is fine if it gets you out of the driveway on a snowy morning, but that's as much Trail Rating as they need.
We think that means Chrysler is going to push back against those sensitive Jeep fans, hard. That translates to a Liberty that is a Jeep in name but carries the same chassis that undergirds the new Dodge Dart. Expect a fully independent suspension and 4WD but no low range, even if hill-descent control is an option. There's also rumor of an all-new V-6 (the outgoing 3.7-liter V-6 was anemic, unrefined, and thirsty), and a ZF-sourced nine-speed automatic. That would mean a whopping five more forward gears than the outdated four-speed auto in the old Liberty (pictured above). The base Liberty could have the same 1.4-liter turbo deployed in the new Dart, and, though it is sacrilege to some Jeep fans, front-wheel drive.
We think that means Chrysler is going to push back against those sensitive Jeep fans, hard. That translates to a Liberty that is a Jeep in name but carries the same chassis that undergirds the new Dodge Dart. Expect a fully independent suspension and 4WD but no low range, even if hill-descent control is an option. There's also rumor of an all-new V-6 (the outgoing 3.7-liter V-6 was anemic, unrefined, and thirsty), and a ZF-sourced nine-speed automatic. That would mean a whopping five more forward gears than the outdated four-speed auto in the old Liberty (pictured above). The base Liberty could have the same 1.4-liter turbo deployed in the new Dart, and, though it is sacrilege to some Jeep fans, front-wheel drive.
Last edited by GreenClassic; 05-13-2012 at 12:34 AM.
05-13-2012, 01:02 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: California
Posts: 604
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 i6
Originally Posted by GreenClassic
I saw this on Yahoo! News in the story "12 More New Cars Worth Waiting For". Not sure of the credibility, though.
That'd be awesome!!!
05-13-2012, 10:52 AM
#4
CF Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Fauquier County, Virginia
Posts: 2,867
Likes: 0
Received 15 Likes
on
13 Posts
Year: 1991
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I-6 4.0 HO
I think this would be good move on Jeep's part. I mean consider it; yes, Jeep is known for off-road ability. All of us here with our XJ's strive to improve our rig's capabilities in this area. And it isn't like Jeep doesn't have a line up of perfectly capable 4x4 rigs. The Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler are usually the two most off-road enthusiasts look at when considering buying a vehicle they want to play on the trails with. So why should Chrysler/Jeep worry about building a FWD platform with more comfortable ride amenities that (hopefully) gets good gas mileage? Personally, I know I'll get flack for this, but if Jeep launched a good cross-over (excluding the Patriot/Compass) that got 30-35 mpg highway, I'd be all over it. Most Jeep owners are prior Jeep owners, meaning they already have a rig. For regular DD'ing, I'll take the crossover. If I need a trail worthy ride or something for weather, I've got my XJ. Not too many vehicles offer the best of both worlds. The only good exception I can think of is the Kia Sportage. My dad has one, AWD, and it does great in bad whether and still manages like 32 mpg without any BS CVT junk AND with a 2.4L to boot. She'll get up and go. If Jeep could follow this same passage and get those same numbers, I'd be ALL over it.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)