Press Kit: 2008 Jeep® Liberty Reveal

New York April 3, 2007 - The all-new 2008 Jeep® Liberty offers the latest safety and security features to transport passengers and gear.

“The all-new 2008 Jeep Liberty offers 35 safety and security features,” said Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President – Product Development, Chrysler Group. “With a broad range of engineering technologies, Jeep Liberty is offering customers peace of mind with more standard and available features and equipment.”

New for Jeep Liberty and standard on 4x4 models is Hill Descent Control (HDC). Operational in the “4WD Low” position, HDC provides downhill assistance at a controlled rate of speed. By means of electronic brake control, HDC supplements the gear reduction and engine braking that a traditional mechanical low-range transfer case provides. For ease of operation, Liberty’s HDC is activated and deactivated automatically, after the HDC button is engaged, as the system senses changes in topography. The system works whether the vehicle in forward or reverse.

Another new feature for Jeep Liberty is Hill Start Assist (HSA). Standard on all Liberty models, this feature allows the driver time to transition from brake to throttle to achieve a smooth launch on a grade. The system will hold brake pressure for two seconds upon the driver’s release of the brake pedal. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) system decreases wheel pressure in response to increasing throttle to provide a smooth launch.

As with all Jeep vehicles, Liberty features an ABS with Rough Road Detection. This system is capable of detecting when the vehicle is driving on a rough road by the oscillations in the wheel-speed signals. A rough road is detected on off-road surfaces or trails, which signals the ABS to hold the brake pressure for longer pulses. With a longer pressure pulse, the deformable surface of the rough road will form a wedge in front of the tire and assist in slowing the vehicle.

The all-new Jeep Liberty will give customers more peace of mind with several features including Trailer Sway Control, Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPM) and rain-sensing wipers. Trailer Sway Control reduces trailer sway, providing improved trailer stability and increased towing safety. The TPM system informs occupants if tire pressure is too low by utilizing pressure-sensor modules within the valve stems of all four road wheels. Jeep Liberty’s rain-sensing wipers automatically sense moisture on the windshield and activate the wipers.

Adding to Jeep Liberty’s long list of standard safety and security features is Chrysler Group’s Side Occupant Protection System. This system includes side-curtain air bags with extended up time, tethers and multiple sensors to offer rollover protection.

Chrysler Group employs a two-fold safety approach: conventional features such as pretensioning and load-limiting seat belt retractors and supplemental air bags, combined with accident-avoidance features including precise steering, handling and braking. The Liberty also offers customers a high level of security technology, featuring Sentry Key® engine immobilizer, an available security alarm and HomeLink® universal home security system transceiver.

Jeep Liberty Safety and Security Features

These of standard and available safety and security features reinforce Chrysler Group's commitment to safety and security. 

• Advanced Multi-stage Air Bags: Offering enhanced protection for a wider range of occupants, this system is designed to also identify the size of an occupant – using the Occupant Classification System – based primarily on weight for the front passenger seat 
• Anti-lock Brake System (ABS): Senses and prevents wheel lockup, offering improved steering control under extreme braking and/or slippery conditions – advanced ABS modulates the four brakes individually for optimum control and stopping performance 
• Anti-lock Brake System with Rough Road Detection: Anti-lock brake system capable of detecting if the vehicle is driving on a rough road by the oscillations in the wheel speed signals. Rough road is detected on off-road surfaces or trails and ABS enters a different pressure control, where it will hold the brake pressure for longer pulses. Because trails are usually a deformable surface (dirt or gravel), the surface will form a wedge in front of the tire and assist in slowing down the vehicle 
• All-speed Traction Control: Senses drive-wheel slip and applies individual brakes to a slipping wheel(s), and can reduce excess engine power until traction is regained 
• Auto-reverse Sun Roof: Advanced sensing system that automatically engages and reverses the sun roof (to the open position) 
• Auto-reverse Windows: Automatically engages and reverses the window (to the down position) 
• BeltAlert: Periodically activates a chime and illuminates an icon in the instrument cluster to remind the driver to buckle up if a vehicle is driven without the driver being properly belted 
• Brake Assist: In a panic brake condition, the system applies maximum braking power, providing the shortest possible stopping distance 
• Brake/Park Interlock: Prevents an automatic transmission or transaxle from being shifted out of Park unless the brake pedal is applied 
• Child Seat Anchor System: Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) is designed to ease installation of compatible aftermarket child seats 
• Child-protection Rear Door Locks: Disables the rear doors’ inside-release handles via a small lever on the door-shut face 
• Crumple Zones: Designed to compress during an accident to absorb energy from an impact, decreasing transfer of that energy to the occupants 
• Digressive Load-limiting Retractors: A two-stage load-limiting feature to limit the maximum force on the belt webbing to help absorb the energy of the occupant’s upper torso during an impact 
• Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM): An extension of the Electronic Stability Program (ESP). Uses input from the ESP sensors to anticipate if the vehicle is at risk of entering a potential roll situation, then reacts immediately, applying the brakes individually and modulating throttle position as needed to attempt to avoid the roll situation 
• Electronic Stability Program (ESP): Enhances driver control and helps maintain directional stability under all conditions. Provides the greatest benefit in critical driving situations, such as turns, and is especially valuable when driving on mixed surface conditions, such as snow, ice or gravel. If there’s a discernible difference between what the driver asks through the steering wheel and the vehicle’s path, ESP applies selective braking and throttle input to put the vehicle back onto the driver’s intended path 
• Energy-absorbing Steering Column: The manual-adjust steering column utilizes two hydroformed coaxial tubes that can move relative to each other to allow the column to move forward for enhanced energy-absorption during a crash 
• Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS): Makes it easier for emergency personnel to see and reach occupants in the event of an accident by turning on the interior lighting and unlocking the doors after air bag deployment. Also shuts off the flow of fuel to the engine 
• Height-adjustable Front Seat Belts: Allows the driver and front passenger to raise and lower the shoulder belt. Encourages seat belt usage by offering a more comfortable fit 
• Hill Descent Control: Allows smooth and controlled descent on rough or slippery terrain without the driver having to touch the brake pedal. Applies the brakes to each wheel individually when needed to reduce forward motion while negotiating down steep grades 
• Hill Start Assist: Assists drivers when starting a vehicle from a stop on a hill by maintaining the level of brake pressure applied for a short period after the driver’s foot is removed from the brake pedal. If throttle is not applied within a short period after the driver’s foot is removed from the brake pedal, brake pressure will be released 
• HomeLink® Universal Home Security System Transceiver: Stores three separate transmitter radio-frequency codes to operate garage door openers, security gates, security lighting or other radio-controlled devices 
• Interior Head-impact Protection: Interior pillars above the beltline and instrument panel including areas around windshield and rear window headers, roof and side-rail structures, and shoulder-belt turning loops specifically designed to limit head-impact force 
• Knee Bolsters: The lower instrument panel and the glove box door are designed to properly position the occupant, enabling the air bags to work effectively 
• Low-risk Deployment Front Passenger Air Bag: Front-passenger air bags that use unique shape, venting, folding patterns, advanced inflators or a combination of these four technologies to position and inflate the restraint properly for a belted passenger while also meeting federal safety requirements for out-of-position, small occupants and rear-facing infant seats. Occupants are advised to always sit properly in their seats with the seat belt fastened. Children 12 and younger should always be seated in a back seat, correctly using an infant- or child-restraint system, or have the seat belt positioned correctly for their age and weight 
• ParkSense® Rear Back-up System: Assists at low speeds in Reverse to detect stationary objects. Consists of visible (interior lights seen with rearview mirror) and audible warnings for the driver 
• Rain-sensing Wipers: Automatically senses moisture on the windshield and activates the wipers
• Remote Keyless Entry: Locks and unlocks doors, and turns on interior lamps. If the vehicle is equipped with a vehicle-theft security alarm, the remote also arms and disarms that system
• Remote Start: Conveniently starts the engine from outside the vehicle by using the Remote Keyless Entry fob while maintaining security 
• Safety Cage Body Structure: Protects occupants by managing and controlling energy in the event of an impact 
• Seat Belt Pretensioners (both front seat belts): During a collision, the impact sensors initiate the front seat belt pretensioners to immediately remove slack from the seat belts, thereby reducing the forward movement of the occupants’ heads and torsos 
• Sentry Key® Engine Immobilizer: Utilizes an engine key that has an embedded transponder with a preprogrammed security code to discourage vehicle theft. When the key is inserted into the ignition, the controller sends a random number to the transponder and the engine is allowed to start. If an incorrect key is used, the engine will shut off after only a few seconds 
• Side Guard Door Beams: In front and rear doors, provides occupant protection during a side impact 
• Side Occupant Protection System: Includes side-curtain air bags with roll detection system that deploy in certain rollover situations and side-impact events. Utilizes information from multiple sensors to determine the severity of the impact 
• Supplemental Side-curtain Air Bags: Extends protection to all outboard front- and rear-seat passengers. Each side air bag has its own impact sensor to autonomously trigger the air bag on the side where the impact occurs 
• Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPM): Pressure-sensor modules within the valve stems of all four road wheels send continuous radio-frequency signals to a receiver, and the system informs occupants when the pressure is too low 
• Trailer Sway Control System: Reduces trailer sway and improves handling in adverse towing conditions caused by crosswinds and traffic. Software monitors the vehicle’s movement relative to the driver’s intended path, then applies brake pressure to slow the vehicle and then increases the pressure on one front wheel to counteract sway induced by the trailer 
• UConnect™ Hands-free Communication: Uses Bluetooth® technology to provide voice-controlled wireless communication between the occupants’ compatible mobile phone and the vehicle’s onboard receiver. The hands-free option promotes safety, freedom, value and flexibility 
• Vehicle Theft Security Alarm: Deters vandalism and theft, frequently lowering insurance premiums. It protects the vehicle from theft by monitoring door- and liftgate-ajar switches and the ignition circuit for unauthorized entry