The Jeep Liberty has gone from sport cute to sport brute.
With a redesign for 2008, this mid-size SUV entry has moved away from the middle-of-the-road curvy styling of the first generation to a more in-your-face, rugged, boxier design this time around.
It has, well, a more ‘Jeep look’ to it, almost a mini Commander-type stance that is sure to please die hard Jeep lovers who may have been put off with the styling of the previous model.
The Liberty has a rugged look and it can handle the tough going with ease, as my colleague Jim Robinson wrote in his preview of the model last fall.
Jim talked about his experience on an off-road course that was as demanding as any he had encountered in his long career as an automotive reviewer.
Here is what he had to say:
We came over the crest on the trail and my co-driver and I both gasped.
There, 20 metres straight down was the forest floor of the hill we had just driven up. There was no turning around and going back, only forward. With trees so close together we had to pull in the mirrors to make it, we edged over the brow, and with feet off the brakes and gas, nosed over on Hill Descent Control (HDC).
With the HDC making grunting braking and engine noises, the bottom was about as wide as the wheelbase with the next challenge being another seemingly vertical climb up through ruts as deep as the axles... We were driving a 2008 Jeep Liberty and you can count on the fingers of one hand how many showroom stock competitors would have made it through.
The Liberty shares much with its Dodge mate, the Nitro and both are built at the same plant in the U.S. However, looks aside, the pair are light years apart when it comes to off-road ability. The Liberty is Trail Rated, meaning it can handle things when the going gets tough off-road. To qualify for the Trail Rated designation, five performance categories are considered— articulation, ground clearance, manoeuvrability, traction and water fording.
But despite that, most of us never venture off road, at least not intentionally anyway.
So what really matters to us is whether the vehicle will handle the snow and wet weather we get thrown at us from time to time up here in the Great White North (at least last winter anyway). And how will it fare in day-to-day driving situations?
The answer to both questions is “pretty darned good.”
However, the styling is such that most people will either love it or hate it— there’s not likely to be much of a middle ground.
But for those who want that true Jeep experience, the Liberty can deliver.
It is available with two 4x4 systems— the part-time Command Trac II and optional Selec-Trac II ($475). With both systems, the vehicle operates in rear-wheel drive until four-wheel drive is activated. Command Trac is recommended for loose surfaces like snow, mud or sand. Selec-Trac is a full-time active on-demand system that identifies slippage and sends torque to the wheels with the most grip.
Hill Start Assist is a new standard feature that momentarily holds brake pressure as you climb, fighting vehicle roll back and the need for two-footed driving in many off-road situations.
Also available is the Hill Descent Control, described above, that uses automatic braking to allow the driver to descend hills slowly and safely.
The Liberty comes with a 3.7-litre SOHC  V6 that puts out 210 hp and 235 lb/ft of torque through either a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.
Three trim levels are offered in Canada— Liberty Sport, a Canada-only North Edition and the Limited edition.
My tester was a Limited, featuring the unique Sky Slider  ($1,525), a full-length, fully-retractable canvas roof that allows open-air cruising for both front-and rear-seat passengers. It has a unique feature in that it opens front to back to expose both rows and back to front to expose only the back row or any position in between. A traditional glass power sunroof is also available as an option.
The Liberty Limited came with a price tag of $37,670 including options such as  the Sky SLlider, a trailer towing package ($500), premium audio system ($750), and a package including air conditioning with automatic temperature control, air filtering, a wheel package and a rear park-assist system ($700).
The base Liberty Sport starts at $27,695, while the North Edition starts at $28,545 and the Limited $32,795.
The Liberty Sport comes with a six-speed manual transmission, power windows/exterior mirrors/ door locks, remote keyless entry, air conditioning, AM/FM/MP3/CD with four speakers, anti-lock brakes,  electronic stability program, traction control, brake assist, 60/40 split rear seat, 16-inch aluminum wheels with P225/75R16 tires, flip-up rear cargo gate glass, reversible rear cargo ray,  block heater and advanced multistage driver and front passenger air bags.
The North Edition adds fold-flat front passenger seat, speed control, six-speaker sound system, fog lamps, roof rack side rails, 115V AC power outlet, compass and temperature gauge and cargo compartment cover among other features.
My Limited tester came with the four-speed automatic transmission, the only offering at that trim level. It also had 17-inch aluminum wheels, leather-faced heated power front seats, power heated foldaway mirrors, SIRIUS satellite radio, steering wheel audio controls, Infinity premium sound system, automatic on/off headlights, and auto-dimming rear-view mirror among other items.
Fuel economy is rated at 14.0L/100 km (20 mpg) city and 9.7L/100 km (29 mpg) highway. Meanwhile, the manual transmission mode is rated at 13.4L/100 km (21 mpg) city and 9.2 L/100 km (31 mpg) highway.
The 2008 Liberty is 48 mm longer (1.9 inches) and 25 mm wider (1 inch). There is also a new independent front suspension system and five-link rear suspension, along with front  and  rear  stabilizer  bars. This results in a generally smoother, better handling vehicle than before.
The Liberty has enough grunt to get to highway speeds adequately, but you don’t want to push it any more than needed these days with the price of gasoline going through the roof.
At speed, the ride is much improved over the previous model, although potholes and speed bumps sometimes result in a teeth-jarring jolt. Being a tall, boxy vehicle there is a bit of roll on tight cornering, but there is still the feeling of stability as well.
The interior has also been upgraded over the previous model. While plastic still predominates, the look is more classy and upscale and has a quality feel not found in all Jeep products these days. Granted, this was the top-of-the-line Limited model, but I’ve glanced at other trim levels and noticed the improvements.
Legroom, particularly for the driver, can be an issue. The lack of a dead pedal is noticeable, particularly on any long trips.
Seats are better bolstered than before, but the rear seats are snug and could use a bit more padding on the seat cushions.
I really enjoyed the Sky Slider as my test week coincided with a couple of beautiful days. Although there is a bit of wind noise at highway speeds, the canvas roof is like most convertible tops these days and much less noise intrusive than we remember from drop tops years ago. The price, however, may detract from the take rate of this feature unique to the Liberty.
One big plus with the vehicle is its towing capacity. With the trailer towing package and automatic transmission, it is capable of hauling 2,268 kg (5,000 lb).
It’s one of the reasons some buyers will opt for the Liberty over some of its more refined competitors like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson and Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute.
That, combined with the off-road capability, gives it a leg up on the ruggedness scale some buyers crave in their vehicles.
JEEP LIBERTY LIMITED
 2008 AT A GLANCE

BODY STYLE: Mid-size SUV.
DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, four-wheel-drive.
ENGINE: 3.7-litre, SOHC V6 (210 hp, 235 lb/ft)
FUEL ECONOMY: Automatic, 14.0L/100 km (20 mpg) city, 9.7L/100 km (29 mpg) highway; manual, 13.4L/100 km (21 mpg) city, 9.2L/100 km (31 mpg) highway
PRICE: Sport, $27,695; North Edition, $28,545; Limited, $32,795. As tested, $37,670 including $1,300 destination charge.
WEBSITE: jeep.ca