I've been asking for this since the liberty came out, or even before on my TJ. Get me a diesel Liberty Renegade and I'll buy it tomorrow. I've read the European articles on the Diesel Liberty; they get 30mpg and have equal torque numbers to the 3.7L V6. Yes we give up a bit in HP but the mileage and environmental issues more than make up for it.

here is my comment It is about time , Ill take mine in green. The diesels they make today are great ,and we americans are deprived of them, unless you get a full size truck.

I admit to not knowing anything about the Euro turbocharged 2.5, but if Jeep decides to put it in any of their vehicles, make it durable.

VW's diesel is wonderful new, but the long term durability (especially the electronic control) has yet to be shown. Make sure that it has a timing chain, not a cheap rubber belt needing frequent replacement. Start making maintenance actions easy instead of challenging.

If done correctly, I'll buy one. If it doesn't match the Jeep concept, forget it.

I find the idea of a diesel Liberty very appealing, except for the smell. I can usually smell a diesel in front of me well before I can see it, and it would detract from our backwoods and desert trips to have the smell with us all the time. It doesn't go with ponderosa or sage at all. I've heard that it's way better with new low sulfur fuels in Europe. If engine technology and better fuel would fix the odor, a high torque, high mileage diesel would be terrific.

Gary, you may not like the Liberty, but to put it in the same league as the Escape is just insulting! The Escape is a car-based, IFS/IRS soft-roader with half-shafts like toothpicks and no low range. The Liberty is a real off-roader with low range, lots of wheel travel, and the same driveline hardware as the XJ (T-case, axles, etc). The Liberty can be lifted, the Escape can't. Also, I don't think you would do the Rubicon in an Escape. The Liberty wouldn't be my first choice, but at least it made it through. And just as an afterthought, it seems like Ford is building a fleet of non-wheeling SUV's. The 2002 Exploder with IFS/IRS can't wheel worth anything. And now the 2003 Expedition is going to have the same suspension. Be glad Jeep still builds REAL off-roaders. The Liberty is not meant to be a 4-door Wrangler (although that would be great). But it still beats anything in it's class, while having better on-road manners than the XJ. And I would bet that in 5 years when they are on the used market that we start seeing a lot of modified Libertys at Jamborees and Camp Jeep.

I would like to see how loud a diesel liberty would be...I sell Jeeps & on many test drives in a G.Cherokee 4.7 V8 i will hear her say to him (boy thats kinda loud)...I think we americans like quiet the better....see ya

I think a Diesel/Hybrid engine would be a great option for the Liberty, or even the Wrangler...Just make sure there is a front axle and front driveshaft... Just Squeeze the electric motor between the engine and transmission.

Environmentalists are uneducated fools...Highly refined diesel fuel run in a higly efficient diesel engine does not emit odors or harmful particulates...

here is my comment
I'd have to agree with most of what Matt had to say, except for making it through the Rubicon. From the magazine article that I read they tore up either the transfer case or transmission when they ran the Liberty through the Rubicon. I think and know for a fact that it is a tough Jeep, but the front end needs to come up about 2 inches. As far as diesel goes, go for it! Who else would have a diesel-Jeep might just as well lead the way on the diesel. From when I remember going through the Jeep factory the diesels that were used in the export cherokee were not at all noisy. I think the past experience with the diesel back in the US cherokees in the mid eighties was low demand, I think now, today, it would be a hit-especially for off road torque anf mileage!

The Euro diesels are fairly quiet and emit no "diesel-smell" whatsoever.

The reason diesels are so popular in Europe is cost and fuel economy. Remember, Europeans pay about $4-$5 per gallon for gas or diesel, so any fuel efficiency advantage helps.

The only roadblocks I see in the US are that we like fast acceleration. The diesels typically are lower horsepower. The 2.5 liter turbodiesel in the Euro Liberty makes only about 145 horsepower. The other is our stupid environmentalists. They want to ban all diesels in the US. As usual, they are mindless idiots.

Thank you Matt, finaly someone with some knowledge of the vihicle made an intelligent commet! The Liberty is far better than anything in it's class.

If it got over 40 MPG I'd probably actually buy one, even if it doesn't have a real front axle, no luggage space (with the seat up-compared to an XJ), rolls easily, and looks like a cartoon. A hybrid would be interesting also. Ford is coming out with a 40 mpg hybrid Escape. Neither are rock crawlers, which I like to do, so I put them both in the same next to useless soft-road category. New Diesels are quiet, powerful and clean burning.

For what it's worth: In Europe last year, 35.9% or
all new cars sold—not trucks, but cars— where
diesels.

http://industryclick.com/microsites/Newsarticle.as
p?newsarticleid=281946&srid=10250&instanceid=5216&
pageid=1120&magazineid=1004&siteid=26

I think a good diesel Liberty would sell. It would
probly take a while, but eventually it would do
well. Look at the success of diesel pickups here
in North America. It won't be long before we see
1/2 ton diesel pickups, so why not a diesel
Liberty

The fuel cell Jeeps sound more interesting to me. I have never owned a diesel
nor have I ever had a desire to, maybe if I did own one I would like it.