2012 Jeep Liberty Limited Jet Edition~only 3,923 Miles~white~sandy Salvage Title on 2040-cars

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Gilles defends 2014 Jeep Cherokee design as "very contemporary"

Following the forced-hand introduction of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, there has definitely been a mix of responses revolving around everything from its design to the return of the legendary nameplate. As evidence of this, just check out the 1,000+ comments in our article last week and some of the many opinions that were voiced. Following this not-too-warm reception, Ward's Auto had a chance to talk to Chrysler designer chief - and SRT president - Ralph Gilles, who shed a little more light on the styling direction of the new Cherokee.
Rather than looking to previous models for inspiration, Gilles says that the Cherokee has been designed to be more contemporary, with Mark Allen, head of Jeep design, adding that a main goal was to make sure the design still looks modern five years from now. Interestingly, Gilles does point out that one of the design elements incorporated on the new Cherokee that pays homage to past Jeeps is the sharply downward angle for the leading edge of the beltline, which he notes is meant to mimic the look of the old YJ and TJ Wrangler models fitted with half doors. Of course, the squared-off wheel openings - a signature Jeep cue - are still used.
This is probably a design that will need to be seen on the street in actual daylight to properly assess, but in the meantime, we'll bring you full images and impressions when the Cherokee debuts at next month's New York Auto Show.

Jeep mixed a CJ, a TJ, and a JK to make this sweet retro CJ66

What do you get when you mash-up a CJ and two Wranglers? Jeep calls it the CJ66, its concept for the 2016 SEMA show. It's a Frankensteined machine done right, another in a long line of fantasies from the back rooms at Jeep. A lot of donor vehicles were sacrificed for this one. The body came from a 1966 Jeep CJ – hence the name – and then was modified to fit on a Jeep Wrangler TJ chassis. The finishing touches, such as the bumpers and lights, come from the current Wrangler JK, and the hood was modeled after a JK's, too. The CJ66 has plenty of other neat details throughout as well, such as the vintage-style V8 badges on the fenders, the chains on the dropdown tailgate, and the custom hood latches. Also, like several other FCA SEMA concepts this year, it gets a pair of Dodge Viper seats. We're suckers for Viper seats. View 17 Photos The custom body also hides some impressive off-roading gear. There's a Warn winch tucked behind the front bumper, as well as an on-board tire inflation system, which makes it easy to deflate and inflate tires as the terrain requires. The truck also has 35-inch off-road tires on readily available wheels, front and rear differential lockers, and a custom roll cage and rock sliders. As you may have guessed from the V8 badges, this CJ66 also packs an octet of pistons. The 5.7-liter Hemi engine (or 345 cu. in. for traditionalists) makes 383 horsepower, and was installed using Mopar's new engine swap kit. The engine is hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission that sends power to Dana 44 axles front and rear. We have a feeling it will handle just fine on the trails. Related Video: Image Credit: FCA and Joel Stocksdale SEMA Show Jeep SUV Concept Cars Off-Road Vehicles SEMA 2016

BMW M850i Convertible, VW Tiguan and Easter Jeep Safari concepts | Autoblog Podcast #669

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. This week, they've been driving the BMW M850i xDrive Convertible and VW Tiguan. In the news, Peugeot isn't coming to the U.S. after all, Harley-Davidson has a CPO program, Jeep teased some Easter Safari concepts and Kia's got a big fire problem. Finally, they help a listener choose a replacement for a Nissan 350Z in the "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #669 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars We're Driving 2021 BMW M850i xDrive Convertible 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan News Peugeot's U.S. return officially canned as Stellantis doubles down on Alfa Romeo Harley-Davidson launches CPO program to entice younger buyers Jeep teases 'Magneto' and other concepts for Easter Jeep Safari Kia tells 380,000 more owners to park their cars outside due to fire risk Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related Video: Green Podcasts BMW Jeep Kia Peugeot Convertible Coupe Crossover Motorcycle SUV Concept Cars Electric Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance