Jeep Liberty/History
The Jeep Liberty (KJ), or Jeep Cherokee (KJ) outside North America, was introduced in 2002 to replace its predecessor the Jeep Cherokee (XJ). The Liberty comes with Jeep's distinctive 7-slot grille and round headlights. On April 12, 2002, the Liberty was lowered one inch. In 2003, the rear drum brakes were replaced with disc brakes. In mid-2003, the automatic transmission was changed from the 45RFE to the 42RLE. In 2005, Jeep redesigned the front end and added a diesel model (available for export outside the US since 2002). In 2004, a passenger seat airbag sensor was added. In 2006, ESP and VLP were added and ABS became standard. The Liberty has come in four trim levels: Sport, Latitude, Renegade, and Limited and two special models: CRD and Rocky Mountain Edition. The Sport, Latitude, and Limited are the only versions still in production.
Sport
[edit | edit source]The Sport edition Liberty is recognized by its gray fender flares and bumpers.
Limited
[edit | edit source]The Limited edition Liberty is recognized by its color-matched fender flares/bumper and chrome grille surround/side strips. A narrow-spoke 17" wheel and tire combination became the standard in 2005, with an optional 5-spoke chrome wheel available exclusively for the Limited models.
The interior has options for an in-dash navigation system, and is appointed with leather seats and a premium sound system.
Renegade
[edit | edit source]In 2005, Jeep redesigned the Renegade with the flat hood to give it the rugged look. Jeep also added bumper mounted fog lights. It still had all the features the 2002-2004 Renegade came with, such as the roof mounted lightbar, pocket-style flares, and Renegade emblems.
Rocky Mountain Edition
[edit | edit source]The Rocky Mountain Edition is a special edition Liberty based on the Renegade X package. Special features include painted exterior pieces, interior accents, a power sunroof, upgraded wheels, seats embroidered with the Jeep logo, and a Rocky Mountain Edition badge.
In 2004 Columbia Sportswear teamed up with Jeep and offered a Columbia Edition. This was offered prior to The Rocky Mountain Edition. A coupon for a free Columbia Bug A Boo parka came with the vehicle. 26,000 units were manufactured.