Looking for all the world like a leftover Dodge Nitro prototype, our spyshot-snapping friends at KGP Photography maintain that this is in fact the 2008 Jeep Liberty. Clock the vertical-element grille and different headlamp lenses, and their assertion quickly begins to come good.
We’ll let KGP Photography’s photogs take it from here:
At first glance, we thought this was an old Nitro prototype with some left over camouflage, but an obvious Jeep-style grille got our attention. We quickly realized that this prototype was the new Jeep Liberty, and it is far more than a Nitro with a Jeepish front fascia tacked on. The Dodge Nitro is based on a heavily modified platform of the current Jeep Liberty, resulting in a wheelbase longer by 4.0- inches (and 4.4-inches longer overall), but these larger dimensions are combined with a lower roof (chopped by 1.0-inch), giving the Nitro a squat roofline and relatively narrow window openings. After analyzing our shots of this Jeep tester, we’re convinced that the Liberty uses this same platform, but it appears to be a few inches taller than its Dodge brother–in the name of utility, and a closer family resemblance to the Jeep Commander.
(Click through for more shots and spy shooter musings)
The Liberty’s revised packaging results in a larger windshield, and revised roof pillars, which means that the Jeep shares few, if any, body panels with the Dodge. The Jeep face is clearly visible through the camo. Its seven-slat vertical grille is flanked by new headlight clusters (with some circular internal detailing to maintain familiar Jeep cues), and turn indicators that wrap into the flared front fenders (a trait shared with the current Liberty). Some version of the Nitro’s side fender-vents seem to be in play on the new Liberty, but with a different design treatment. Although the Jeep’s door panels are cleanly styled, they have a bit more surface development than the smooth-skinned Nitro, giving the Liberty a slightly chunkier look. The Jeep also has a different roof rack setup.
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