Here's a press release DaimlerChrysler recently released outlining their European products - note the inclusion of the "all-new" Cherokee, which is the non-U.S. name for the Jeep Liberty. Also note the blurb about, "authentic Jeep design cues such as the seven-slot grille" - a seemingly direct reference to the ongoing lawsuit between GM's Hummer division and DaimlerChrysler's Jeep division.

An enhanced product lineup - on display at the 72nd "Salon international de l'auto et accessoires" in Geneva - and strong worldwide brand recognition continue to strengthen the Jeep® brand in today's highly competitive 4x4 market.

"The Jeep brand has always been known for its outstanding capability and ruggedness with vehicles such as Wrangler," said Thomas Hausch, Executive Director of International Sales and Marketing, Chrysler Group. "Grand Cherokee added to this legendary reputation with luxury, and now the next great Jeep idea, the new Cherokee, expands the depth and breadth of the Jeep brand even further."

From July 23, 1941, to the present, the Jeep brand has stood for authentic four-wheel-drive capability, innovative technology and continuous refinement. Through Willys-Overland, the "Jeep" initiated the 4x4 segment over six decades ago and kicked off the compact "sport-utility" boom with its four-door, 4x4 1984 Jeep Cherokee. Today's Jeep vehicles are still directly descended from the first Jeep vehicles.

The Vehicles that Go Anywhere, Do Anything

The Jeep brand stands for vehicles that are adventurous and up to a challenge. That holds true even for concepts such as the Jeep Compass, which was first revealed at the 2002 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and is making its European debut here at the Geneva Motor Show 2002. The Compass is a concept that feels at home in an urban environment while possessing the free spirit of a performance rally car. Compass also offers a great combination of on-road dynamics and off-highway capability not to mention its authentic Jeep design cues such as the seven-slot grille and trapezoidal wheel arches.

More information on the Jeep Compass concept can be found in its own section within this press kit.

The current Jeep brand production lineup is strong with vehicles that express - at different levels of refinement - the go-anywhere, do-anything attitude of the Jeep brand.

Specifications for vehicles in the Jeep brand lineup are available at the end of this release.

Jeep Cherokee

With the introduction of the new Jeep Cherokee last year, the Jeep brand once again pushed the forefront of engineering and design by delivering a unique combination of ruggedness, capability and exceptional on-road refinement.

The Jeep Cherokee has expanded the strength of the Jeep lineup and broadened the brand's global appeal. Not only for traditional Jeep buyers, the Cherokee - known in North America as the Liberty - is also for a new generation of 4x4 buyers who seek a combination of on-road refinement and ruggedness.

Two powerful engines with ample low-end torque are available in the Jeep Cherokee. First is a 2.5 CRD engine with 105 kW of power and 343 Nm of torque, engineered particularly for Europe. Second is a 3.7-litre V-6 PowerTech™ petrol engine that produces 155 kW of power and 312 Nm of torque. A new four-cylinder, 2.4-litre PowerTech petrol engine became available earlier this year in some international markets.

All-new Jeep Independent Front Suspension

An all-new Jeep engineered coil-spring independent front suspension combines excellent overall ride and handling and precise steering control with Rubicon-tested capabilities. The generous 203 mm (eight-inch) of suspension travel ensures hallmark Jeep off-road performance. This design not only gives consumers confidence about the vehicle's robustness and durability, but improves rough road ride by reducing the vehicle's unsprung weight.

A link-coil rear suspension, similar to that on the Grand Cherokee, provides a more comfortable ride than leafs springs because coil springs have less static and dynamic friction. This configuration also provides a roll centre closer to the vehicle's centre of gravity to reduce body lean during cornering.

More than Sixty Years of Jeep Heritage

The Jeep brand name - trademarked internationally since 1950 - has become one of the best known of all consumer brands in the world and an international byword for off-road capability. Jeep vehicles are sold in nearly 100 countries, and over nine million units carrying the famous Jeep badge have been sold.

Within the last 60 years, the Jeep brand has built a reputation for delivering rugged, versatile vehicles with real four-wheel-drive power. Jeep has always been the hero, not just in military terms, but also in less glamorous situations like plowing fields or aiding rescues in natural disasters.

"Over the past six decades, Jeep has become well-known as a vehicle that confronts a challenge, resolves it, then drives away to face another day," said Hausch. "And today, Jeep continues to enable ordinary people to overcome extraordinary obstacles."

The decades have been filled with pioneering, trend-setting vehicles, from the wartime Willys MB to today's models. Having defined the sport-utility segment with industry firsts, the Jeep brand will continue to lead the SUV market into the future.

Highlights from Six Decades of Jeep

• 1941 Willys-Overland wins US Army contract to produce Willys MB
• 1944 First civilian Jeep - the 1945 CJ-2A - is produced
• 1945 The industry's first all-steel station wagon is created
• 1949 Four-wheel-drive station wagon foreshadows the future of the 4x4
• 1950 Jeep is registered as an international trademark
• 1954 1955 Jeep CJ-5 is introduced
• 1962 1963 Jeep Wagoneer is unveiled, the first Jeep vehicle designed from the ground up for a civilian purpose
• 1972 Quadra-Trac®, the first completely automatic full-time four-wheel-drive system is launched on the 1973 Jeep Wagoneer
• 1983 New 1984 Jeep Cherokee offers 4x4 power in a smaller package, kicking off the modern-day sport-utility boom
• 1992 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee is introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and is driven THROUGH the glass walls of the Cobo Exhibition Center by Chrysler President, Bob Lutz; European production of the Grand Cherokee begins in Graz, Austria
• 1996 New 1997 Jeep Wrangler - icon of the Jeep brand - is unveiled
• 1998 1999 Grand Cherokee revolutionizes the upscale SUV again
• 2001 New Jeep Cherokee is presented and begins production