The Jeep Commander is a mid-size, four-door SUV produced from 2005 to 2010 in Detroit, Michigan, and Graz, Austria. It has a longitudinal front-engine, rear-wheel or four-wheel drive layout. Jeep discontinued it in favour of Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee, with almost 200 thousand units sold in total. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said that the Commander was not fit for human consumption. He added, "We sold some. But I don't know why people bought them."
FCA revealed a concept called Commander during the 1999 Auto Show Circuit, featuring experimental direct methanol fuel cell that produces electricity to charge a nickel-metal hydride battery. Rather than use the design for the Commander, Jeep used it for the third-generation Grand Cherokee instead, released a year earlier.
The official unveiling happened at the 2005 New York Auto Show, presenting the five or seven-seat option, supposedly to provide an alternative to the Grand Cherokee, assembled on the same production line. The two models share many parts, including unibody construction, independent short/long arm front suspension and 5-line live rear axle.
Sport trim or standard includes 3x3 point rear seat belts, ABS, air conditioning, alarm, alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers, CD, cruise control, driver's airbag, electric driver's seat, electric mirrors, electric passenger's seat, folding rear seats, front electric windows, fog lights, full-size spare wheel, height-adjustable drivers seat, Isofix child seat anchor points, lumbar support, PAS, passenger's airbag, remote locking, roof rails, side airbags, steering wheel rake adjustment, traction control, electronic stability control, and TPMS.
- The Limited trim level adds audio remote, heated seats, leather seat trim, metallic paint, parking sensors, security system, and standard seven-seat layout.
- The Overland trim level is equipped with a 5.7L HEMI V8 engine, GPS, Sirius satellite radio, leather-and-suede trim, wood-trimmed steering wheel, dual-panel Command View sunroof.
- The 65th anniversary trim level was available only in 2006 with either a 3.7L or 4.7L engine, 65th anniversary badges, power driver’s seat, unique embroidered floor mats, folding third-row seats, automatic front headlamps, fog lights, premium sound system, Sirius satellite radio, RDS, special edition alloy wheels and full-size spare wheel.
- The Rocky Mountain trim level had either a 3.7L or 4.7L engine, with most features being the same as on the 65th-anniversary edition, in the Rocky Mountain design.
Optional Command View sunroof included one power front sunroof and two smaller sunroofs above the second row of seats. Quadra-Trac was available on models with the 3.7L engine, while the V8 models came with Quadra-Trac II.
IIHS gave Commander the following rating:
- Good - Moderate overlap front crash, side crash, roof strength, and head restraints and seats
- Superior - Front crash vehicle-to-vehicle prevention with optional systems
- Headlights rating ranged from Acceptable to Poor based on trim level.
- Marginal - Driver-side small overlap front crash and LATCH (Child seat anchor) ease of use
IIHS scores are (from the best to the worst): Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor; Superior, Advanced, and Basic.
Powertrain options available in Australia:
- Base trim level, 3.0L V6 diesel with a power output of 163kW (218hp) and torque of 510Nm, paired with a 5-speed automatic transmission
- Limited trim level, 4.7L V8 Powertech petrol engine with a power output of 227kW (305hp) and 463Nm of torque, paired with a 5-speed automatic transmission.
- Limited trim level, 5.7L V8 Hemi petrol engine with a power output of 246kW (330hp) and 502Nm of torque, paired with a 5-speed automatic transmission
- Limited trim level, 5.7L V8 Hemi petrol engine with a power output of 268kW (360hp) and 529Nm of torque, paired with a 5-speed automatic transmission
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Author: Luka Kusic