2002 Jeep Liberty; A serious player both off-road and on.

``Duality'' was the mantra chanted by everyone who worked the past 29 months on bringing Jeep Liberty to life. Duality meant the SUV, slated to replace Cherokee-the vehicle some say started the whole SUV trend in 1984-had to have wonderful road manners as well as be able to tackle the toughest off-road excursions.

Trying to obey two masters usually means making a bunch of compromises. In the case of this vehicle, Jeep engineers knew that making too many compromises to either side could be the kiss of death to Liberty. The competition in the segment is simply too good. There are nearly 20 SUVs competing in the midsize market. While most are what Jeep folks call ``cute-utes'' or ``soft-roaders,'' meaning they were not built for serious off-road duty, the vast majority of owners-including Jeep owners-spend most of their time on improved roads.

Jeep owners are a special breed, though. Fiercely loyal to the brand, they will take their Jeeps to places where others wouldn't dare to tread. So Liberty had to deliver a comfortable, stable ride on the freeway and still be able to climb rocks, ford streams and traverse trails that even horses might avoid.

DaimlerChrysler officials also make it very clear just how important Liberty is to the resurgence of the company. Dieter Zetsche, Chrysler Group president and chief executive officer, and Wolfgang Bernhard, chief operating officer, were on hand in the rolling hills near Thomas Jefferson's Monticello to see for themselves how Liberty handled the real world at its introduction.

``After having driven Liberty,'' Zetsche said, ``I can tell you that it is absolutely superb-the quality, the refinement, the preciseness. It all comes together in one solid package. Or to put it more simply, it's a real Jeep.'' Okay, it's his job to say that, but he's also a guy from the German side of the company where the quality, refinement and precision of the American products have often been questioned.

Zetsche said he believes the way to bring the Chrysler Group back to profitability is through great products. So that begs the question: Is Liberty a great product? ``Great'' seems a bit strong, reserved for 911s and the like, but how about very, very good?

Liberty design combines elements of two auto show stars, the 1997 Dakar and the 1998 Jeepster. The upright profile and high glass-to-body ratio of Dakar is plainly evident in Liberty, as are the Jeepster's big, seven-slot grille, round headlights and accompanying rounded hood. Designers accomplished their goal of making Liberty seem small on the outside, but bigger when you get in (a neat inversion of the Cherokee's smaller-than-it-looks impression). Cargo capacity with the rear seats folded is 69 cubic feet, as compared with 66 cubic feet in the Cherokee. Front-seat rails have been moved to the extreme outsides to provide rear-seat passengers more foot space beneath the seat, adding to the overall roomy feel.