Jeep Liberty SUV drinks diesel fuel with new turbo-diesel V6
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 8/2/2005
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SANTA INEZ, Calif. -- At Camp Jeep, the annual four-wheel-drive exposition for Jeep off-road enthusiasts, we get to drive the first mid-size SUV in America outfitted with a diesel-drinking engine.
It's the 2005 Jeep Liberty CRD (Common Rail Diesel), which stocks a dual-cam 2.8-liter V6 that burns B5 diesel fuel and employs a common-rail direct injection fuel system with electronically-controlled turbo-charging to enhance engine power and torque.
What's the big idea behind Jeep's turbo-diesel option?
It's the production of massive torque muscle to turn the wagon's wheels during a challenging off-road course but the miserly fuel economy of a small-scale powerplant plus a boon for the environment from a clean-running engine producing less hydrocarbon exhaust emissions.
The CRD engine in Liberty delivers the big torque of a V8 engine with the performance of a V6 yet fuel economy figures of a four-cylinder plant.
It makes 160 hp at 3800 rpm but huge torque of 295 lb-ft at only 1800 rpm.
And fuel consumption numbers run as high as 27 mpg for highway cruising, or 22 mpg in stop-and-go city traffic.
To appreciate Jeep's high-tech take on diesel engine design, you must first dismiss any latent images carried over from last-century diesels -- like tepid power, sooty emissions and obnoxious engine noises.
That's because Liberty's CRD plant can be cleaner and stronger -- and far less noisy -- than previous diesels.
In fact, it runs so quietly and provides such juicy torque, particularly in lower gears, that a driver would never suspect there's a diesel engine aboard Liberty without first checking the label.
Liberty's CRD engine comes from VM Motori, a company owned in part by Detroit Diesel, a division of DaimlerChrysler which owns the Jeep brand.
The engine's advanced direct injection of fuel into an open combustion chamber through a high-pressure tube (or rail) is far more efficient than pre-chamber indirect injection.
And ceramic glow plugs in this plant warm up quickly to fire the engine fast even in cold climes.
Our turn to test a Liberty CRD takes place on twin-rut tracks in California's Santa Ynez Mountains during the Camp Jeep festival.
Recent rain in the hills makes the trails slippery with puddles of tire-sucking mud, although such a mess is never a problem for a go-anywhere Jeep.
For Liberty CDI, the list of standard equipment includes four-wheel-drive (4WD) hardware and a five-speed automatic transmission.
On the trail we shift into 4WD mode and move forward, as Liberty's Command-Trac part-time transfer case distributes torque from the CRD engine evenly between front and rear wheels.
Treads on nubby 16-inch Goodyear tires grab that trail goo and propel our Liberty steadily through the mire without incident.
And we discover all kinds of muscle on tap to send this SUV sailing over off-road obstacles.
Liberty CRD with the turbo-diesel engine and standard 4WD equipment offers two trim choices with Sport and a luxury-lined Limited edition.
As with other Liberty issues of 2005, the CRD Liberty also shows fresh styling points on the exterior package with new fascia, grille, foglamps, bodyside moldings and sill moldings plus a revised roof rack.
Liberty first appeared in Jeep's line as a 2002 model designed to replace the aged Cherokee wagon.
From the outset, it seemed like a different kind of SUV due to the car-based structural design.
The unibody frame creates a rigid container that resists flexing and twisting when set in motion on pavement or dirt and ultimately enhances the vehicle's smooth-riding manners.
Liberty's suspension, with independent upper and lower A-arms in front tied to coil springs, enables the front wheels to travel up to eight inches vertically. They can bump over trail obstacles like other Jeeps and keep rolling.
Precise rack and pinion steering also shows up on Liberty and produces quick-response turns.
Liberty stands tall in the traditional two-box format of a wagon but with all corners contoured and the horizontal lines chiseled and planed in streamlined fashion.
The familiar Jeep signature of a seven-slot grille flanked by large round headlamps becomes a focal point on the prow, which tapers from a narrow top to the broad bottom to add visual solidity to the stance.
Muscular features show up in the squared wheel flares and a narrow band of body cladding wrapped around the base of the wagon.
Four doors provide a separate entry for every seat, and the tall structure carves out ample room for heads and legs of all passengers.
In back, a full-size spare tire mounts on the door -- it's a space-saving measure that not only makes the spare easy to reach but contributes to the sturdy look.
Liberty's tailgate consists of two pieces with a flip-up window and swing-out door. Together, they offer flexible access to the cargo bay.
The passenger cabin contains cozy buckets in front of a three-person bench divided into unequal sections with the back folding flat to expand cargo space. Soft-to-touch materials are utilized extensively, and the dashboard shows a crisp design with analog gauges in the instrument cluster.
Liberty's diesel package installs the five-speed automatic transmission, an anti-lock brake system (ABS), extensive measures to damp engine noise and vibrations, and a hybrid cooling system using an electric fan as well as one powered by the engine.
Sport models stock air conditioning, power door locks and a keyless entry device, plus high-back bucket seats covered in cloth fabric and a six-speaker stereo with CD player. Limited editions have low-back buckets, satin silver trimwork on console and dash, body-color fascias and fenders with bodyside moldings in chrome and bright roof rails.
Jeep's price chart for Liberty CRD begins at $25,515 for Sport and $26,745 for Limited.
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| 2005 JEEP LIBERTY SUV VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Compact 5-door SUV |
| Model Options: |
Compact 5-door SUV |
| Trim Options: |
Sport, Limited |
| Wheelbase: |
104.3 inches |
| Overall Length: |
174.4 inches |
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.8-L I4/TD/CRD |
| Transmission: |
Auto/5/545RFE |
| Drive: |
4WD/Command-Trac/NV231 |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) plus opt. 4 (side curtain) |
| Gross Weight: |
5650 pounds |
| Towing Capacity: |
5000 pounds |
| Gas Mileage: |
22/27 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
Liberty CRD Sport: $ 25,515 Liberty CRD Limited: $ 26,745 |
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