Absorbent article having a liner which exhibits improved softness and dryness and provides for rapid uptake of liquid

Absorbent article (10) includes a backsheet layer (30) which has a width dimension and a length dimension, and which includes a front waistband section (12), a back waistband section (14), and an intermediate section (16) interconnecting the front and back waistband sections. An absorbent body (32) is superposed on the backsheet layer (30), and an intermediate transfer layer (28), which is liquid permeable, is disposed in facing relation with the absorbent body (32) to generally sandwich the absorbent body between the backsheet (30) and transfer layer (28). The transfer layer (28) has an appointed bodyside (29), inner surface, and a bodyside liner layer (46) is located on the inner surface (29) of the transfer layer (28). The bodyside liner (46) comprises a bonded carded web which has a basis weight within the range of about 15-40 gsm and is composed of bicomponent fibers having a fiber tex (denier) within the range of about 0.11 - 0.33 tex pf (1.0 - 3.0 dpf). The bodyside liner (46) is constructed to provide for a Penetration rate index of at least about 1.5 ml/sec and a Retention index of not more than about 0.8 gm.