It appears to be a few inches taller than its Dodge brother--in the name of utility, and a closer family resemblance to the Jeep Commander.

The Liberty's revised packaging results in a larger windshield, and revised roof pillars, which means that the Jeep shares few, if any, body panels with the Dodge.

Although the Jeep's door panels are cleanly styled, they have a bit more surface development than the smooth-skinned Nitro, giving the Liberty a slightly chunkier look. The Jeep also has a different roof rack setup.

On to the rear, the Liberty gets revamped tail-light lenses and a reworked rear bumper, but the changes are more thorough than that. The Liberty's taller rear window is hinged and has a grab handle, meaning that the rear glass can be raised independently from the rear hatch.

With the arrival of two sub-Liberty Jeep models--the Dodge Caliber-based Patriot and Compass--the next Liberty had to do some growing up. And it looks like it has. The 2008 model promises to be a more substantial vehicle moving away from the entry-level.