Find out what's new with the 2003 Liberty

The Jeep Liberty will continue to delight customers with new interior features for 2003. A new overhead console, based on the Grand Cherokee design, includes a unique interface that allows customers to program the operation of nine convenience and safety items to their own requirements. Liberty owners can now personalize features, including which doors unlock with the first press of the remote keyless entry unlock button, the mileage desired between service intervals, and the amount of time the headlamps remain on when exiting the vehicle. A new cubby bin found in the dash features a rubber mat with lip to keep sunglasses and cell phones in place. For improved driver convenience, an available six-disc in-dash CD player replaces the remote CD changer previously located in the rear cargo area.

New Safety Features Provide Protection, Peace of Mind

Whether Jeep Liberty is carrying people to the mall or to the mountains, safety is always an integral part of the design. Important active and passive safety features provide protection and peace of mind customers expect from the sport-utility pioneer.

New for 2003, standard four-wheel disc brakes give Jeep Liberty better brake feel on-road, with decreased stopping distances and reduced brake fade. Off-road, four-wheel disc brakes are self-cleaning.

Jeep Liberty drivers will have a better view of the world with new features for 2003. Available electrochromic interior and driver's side rearview mirrors help reduce headlight glare from following traffic. Standard sliding sunvisors keep the sun out of driver's eyes by providing added coverage of the glass.

Standard multi-stage driver and passenger front air bags are designed to deploy at different levels depending on the severity of the impact. Available side curtain air bags offer additional protection for both front and rear outboard occupants. Jeep Liberty also features a seat belt pretensioner in the driver's position, and constant force retractors for both driver and front passenger. These keep occupants securely in place while letting out the belt webbing in a controlled manner in the event of an accident to prevent the seat belt from tightening too firmly and causing an injury.

Jeep Liberty's customized approach to safety helped it earn the government's highest side and driver front safety ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued Jeep Liberty side impact ratings of 5/5 star and frontal crash ratings of 5/4 star.

Jeep engineers used the latest computer technology to design, analyze and refine Liberty's structural framework. Exclusive to Jeep vehicles, Liberty's "uniframe" construction incorporates all of the strength and durability of a body-on-frame construction into a unitized construction. By adding stiffness and rigidity to the structure, engineers enhanced the ride and strengthened the network of steel beams, rails and pillars that surround and protect occupants. More than 70 percent of Liberty's underbody is high-strength steel, benefiting drivers who use their vehicle off-road, as well as those sure to encounter poor on-road surfaces.

Innovative Suspension and Steering

In response to customer feedback, Jeep engineers reduced Liberty's steering effort for improved maneuverability and even more fun-to-drive characteristics. Liberty is the first Jeep vehicle to offer rack and pinion steering, tuned to give the driver precise control and positive feedback on-road, with enhanced durability for off-road use. Also as part of the continuous improvement process, new shocks, springs and jounce bumpers give Liberty better on-road ride and a slightly lower ride height to improve highway ride and handling. Liberty's Jeep-engineered, coil spring independent front suspension combines with a link-coil rear suspension to provide exceptional on-road refinement, while maintaining its eight-inches of suspension travel and legendary off-road capability and durability.

"Our Jeep vehicles are meant to be as enjoyable on-road as they are off," added Craig Love, Vice President - Jeep Product Team, DaimlerChrysler Corporation.

Jeep Liberty Renegade Model

The 'Renegade' name made its comeback to the Jeep lineup as the 2002 model year came to a close. This all-new, adventurous model of the successful Jeep Liberty wears the name that has always represented the rebellious heart and soul of the Jeep brand.

"Renegade builds on the Jeep Liberty's expressive appearance and adds rugged design cues taken from the exciting Dakar concept vehicle, which inspired Liberty's original design," said Rick Aneiros, Vice President - Jeep/Truck Product Design.

Living up to the proud heritage of the Renegade name, Jeep Liberty Renegade combines an integrated activity light bar, unique roof basket, "bolt-on" wheel flares, removable side steps, unique wheels and a two-tone front fascia for the ultimate adventure package.

The custom activity light bar houses four halogen lamps to let the fun continue even after the sun goes down. With 150,000 candlepower, these lamps light the path, whether it is along the rocky terrain of an off-road trail or an evening game of beach volleyball.

Jeep Liberty Renegade's interior features well-tailored, supportive front seats with a unique combination of flat woven cloth and leather. Genuine brushed aluminum highlights on the instrument panel add a modern, machined look to the interior, consistent with its exterior theme.

Also, new for 2003, a premium Liberty Renegade model features standard power leather seats, premium door trim panels and the new overhead vehicle information center with customer programmable features.

Available in Bright Cactus Green, Light Khaki, Bright Silver and now Black for 2003, Jeep Liberty Renegade features a body color grille and moldings with a two-tone front fascia. Unique Renegade wheel flares appear wider than the standard flares with machined stainless steel bolt heads reinforcing Liberty's capability. Trapezoidal wheel openings frame rugged, outlined white letter all-terrain tires mounted on 16-inch six-spoke aluminum wheels. Protective silver tubular side steps with black step pads bolt to Liberty Renegade's rails for easy ingress and egress. The side steps can be easily removed for extreme off-road driving.