Jeep is planning to offer a diesel-powered Liberty sport-utility vehicle in the United
States and Canada in the second half of 2004, as a 2005 model.
Liberty will be the first
light-duty SUV with a diesel engine to go on sale in the United States and Canada in many
years.
The engine will be a 2.8-liter common-rail turbodiesel built by Detroit Diesel. It
will be offered with manual or automatic transmission and two- or four-wheel drive.
The
diesel should provide up to a 30 percent gain in fuel mileage, compared with a gas-powered
version. No word yet on tow ratings.
