As more and more people in the United States become interested in fuel economy-even if the prices we pay here are nothing compared with what Europeans pay at the pumps-the decision by Jeep to bring in a diesel version of its Liberty SUV is pretty smart thinking. SUVs are the most egregious gas guzzlers you can buy, so if you can still provide reasonable fuel economy and maintain SUV virtues such as a high seating position and all-around versatility, what's not to like?We recently drove the Liberty Sport diesel in England-where it is called, no kidding, the Cherokee-and found that you don't give up anything in the name of saving the planet. (OK, so the California Air Resources Board and our technical editor, Don Sherman, have issues with diesels, but if you believe that global warming is real, then cutting CO2 emissions is a must. Cars aren't the only culprits, however-just look at the current American trend to build houses that are way too big and take massive amounts of energy to heat and cool.)
Back to the truck. The Jeep's 2.8-liter, four-cylinder, DOHC, sixteen-valve, direct-injection, common-rail turbo-diesel clatters at idle and lacks some refinement, but it provides mighty torque to make up for its modest power output. The Liberty makes 148 horsepower in Europe, an alarmingly small number for such a comely vehicle, but it also has 266 pound-feet of torque on hand, which turns the vehicle into a really good hauler.... Read full article