Starting work on this SUV, the Jeep concern intended to call the new Grand Wagoneer. The test vehicle was codenamed YK. However, later he received the majestic name Commander.
His debut took place in April 2005 at the New York Auto Show. The vehicle is intended to strengthen and expand Jeep's existing Wrangler, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee lineup.
The creators awarded Commander with a unique, recognizable appearance and high technical specifications. It is designed on the platform of the new Grand Cherokee, respectively, the basic design of the models is similar - a Uniframe body (carrying with an integrated frame), an independent double wishbone front suspension and a rigid five-link rear axle.
Working on the exterior, the designers did not forget about the unshakable traditions of the Jeep brand. As befits a car with "army" roots, the Commander received straight lines, chopped forms and flat, almost vertical body surfaces. Even the side-view mirror housings are made massive and “square”. Appearance Commander seems both new and already familiar. The front view will immediately recognize the approaching Jeep. The headlights still look all the same rounded brand, and a strict radiator grille with seven slots has long become a family feature of the legendary brand.
The car looks interesting from behind. Many details merge into one picture, which can be called new for Jeep cars. Chrome nameplates, plastic rivets on the window tailgate, rails going forward along the roof - all this is successfully combined, creating a new image for the new model.
The SUV looks massive and monumental, but it also weighs 2361 kg.
The uniqueness of the Commander is that it has seven seats. Due to the almost vertical windshield and the increased body height, it was possible to place three rows of seats in the cabin, and they are placed in an amphitheater, that is, third-row passengers sit above all, who have an excellent overview. For greater ease of landing on the second and third rows of seats, the roof is made with a ledge. The seats of all passengers are comfortable and provide good lateral support.
The interior is rather restrained. Simple but functional deflectors are surrounded by the main find of designers - decorative rivets in the amount of 16 pieces. They also surround the new Jeep emblem. Dashboard as extremely simple and functional as everything else around it.
To visually increase the interior space, the designers generously awarded the Commander with three hatches at once. The largest of them is located above the front seats. A couple of small ones are above the rear seats.
A roomy SUV is able to take on board not only seven people, but also a lot of bags, suitcases and boxes. After a short manipulation of the seats for rear passengers you can get an impressive amount of usable space. The length of the car is 4787 mm, width - 1900 mm, and the floor after the transformation of the seats is completely flat - all this makes it possible to obtain a volume of 1950 liters. But the volume of the trunk in the standard layout of the cabin is not impressive - only 170 liters.
Three engines are offered as the main driving force - 3.7L V6 12V (210 hp), 4.7L V8 16V (230 hp) and the top motor of the North American branch DCX 5.7L V8 16V Hemi (326 hp).
The choice of transmission options with permanent all-wheel drive is similar to the Grand Cherokee - two versions of Quadra-Drive with a demultiplier (NV245) and without (NV140), as well as Quadra-DriveII with electronically controlled limited-slip differentials ELSD.
Modifications: Standard 4x2, Laredo 4x4 and Limited 4x4.
The equipment includes ABS, full power accessories, several audio system options, separate climate control. The basic version also received 17-inch wheels, parking sensors and a Keyless Entry contactless access system to the cabin. For a surcharge, you can order inflatable "curtain" safety, digital navigation system GPS / DVD, satellite radio Sirius, leather and wood trim, "turning" headlights and a rain sensor.
General information about the model
Jeep Commander is the first 7-seater SUV in model range Jeep. It is based on the same XK platform as the Grand Cherokee (the Commander is only 5cm longer). From a technical point of view, this is a five-door car with a front longitudinal engine and load-bearing body Uniframe with integrated frame. Depending on the version, Jeep Commander has rear drive, constant four-wheel drive without downshift and blocking center differential and four-wheel drive with all "off-road options".
Main external features Commander - angular body, made in the corporate style of classic Jeep models, and "family" grille with seven slots and JEEP lettering above them.
Auto production was carried out from 2006 to 2010: cars for America were produced at the Chrysler plant in Detroit, and for Europe - at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria. Commander was offered to buyers in three trim levels: Base (aka Sport), Limited and Overland (2007-2009).
Initially new model Jeep, created on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee, was proposed to be called the Grand Wagoneer, on tests the car was hiding under the abbreviation YK, but then it was decided to give it a name the legendary Studebaker produced until 1966. The presentation of the novelty took place in 2005 in New York, and, initially, it was positioned as a 7-seater version of the Grand Cherokee and only then “knocked out” into the flagships of the lineup. Commander combined the classic "chopped" Jeep exterior and modern comfortable interior.
Jeep Commander features
One of the main features is the three rows of seats, arranged in an “amphitheater” (the third row sits above all). To ensure the comfort of all passengers, the SUV's roof also has a "stepped" shape and rises higher at the rear of the vehicle.
To visually increase the space, three hatches fit into the interior - a large one above the front seats and two small ones - above the rear ones (offered as an additional option).
Volume luggage compartment depends on the position of the seats: with the second and third rows folded, this figure reaches 1770 liters (with the unfolded - only 235 liters).
To once again emphasize the brutality of the origin of the Commander, the designers decided not to cover the bolts with which the external plastic body elements (arch extensions, etc.) are fastened.
In the US market, the car was offered with a base 3.7-liter gasoline engine, as well as more powerful 4.7- and 5.7-liter engines. For economical Europeans, a turbodiesel with a volume of “only” 3.0 liters was also developed. All engines were paired with a 5-speed automatic transmission.
Pros and cons of an SUV
Since the Commander is built on the Grand Cherokee platform and has similar dimensions, it is also not inferior in cross-country ability. Thanks to powerful motors, the dynamics of the Commander is very impressive ( top version accelerates to hundreds in just 7.4 seconds), but the payoff for fast driving is huge expense fuel, which
Despite the rather ergonomic interior, you can’t count on 7 full-fledged seats in the Commander: tall passengers in the third row feel cramped, and on uneven pavement may hit their heads on the ceiling.
The weight of the Jeep Commander (almost 2 tons), combined with a not too sharp steering wheel, makes the car very specific to drive. Her element is leisurely trips on asphalt or moderate off-road.
Interesting about Jeep Commander
The Commander name first appeared in the Jeep lineup back in 1999. This was the name of the concept of an electric car with a body made of aluminum and composite materials. Another feature of this project was the hydraulically adjustable 100 mm ground clearance.
Commander's name automotive history met four times: in addition to the mentioned Jeep and Studebaker, it was also worn by the Scammell truck and the Indian SUV Mahindra.
The Commander hit the market in the year of Jeep's 65th anniversary. In honor of this event, a special version of the 65th Anniversary Edition was prepared in several corporate colors (Black, Light Khaki, Dark Khaki, Silver and Jeep Green) and with "Jeep 65" signs in the cabin.
Along with the existing Commander modifications, another one was being prepared for release - the most powerful SRT-8. It was supposed to be equipped with a 6.1-liter V8 biturbo engine. However, before series production this project never came to fruition.
At the 2011 Detroit auto show, a Chrysler spokesman announced that a new incarnation of the seven-seater Jeep SUV was being prepared for release, which this time would bring the Grand Wagoneer name back to life. So it is possible that the Commander tradition in the Jeep lineup will still find its continuation.
Jeep Commander Awards and Sales Results
The first two years the car enjoyed excellent demand in the US market (in 2006 sales exceeded 88 thousand copies, while the Grand Cherokee had only 75 thousand), and then the results began to fall sharply. In the markets of Europe, China, South Africa and North Korea, Commander also did not achieve outstanding success. Jeep marketers have come to the conclusion that the 7-seat model not only does not attract new buyers, but also “beats off” customers from the Grand Cherokee. As a result, in 2010 it was decided to stop the production of the model. "Successor" Commander in 2011 was the Dodge Durango.
In the very first year of its presence on the market, the Commander won the prestigious British 4x4 Magazine award in the main nomination - "Off-Road Vehicle of the Year". The jury gave the new product maximum points for functionality and a high level of cross-country ability.
Also in 2006, the Jeep Commander was declared the winner of the Russian SUV of the Year competition in the Full-Size SUV category.
Medium size SUV Jeep The Commander made its world debut at the New York Auto Show in the spring of 2005 and went into commercial production in 2006. The first two years the car was in good demand among buyers, but in the future its sales began to decline steadily, especially in the US market. On the assembly line, the "American" lasted until 2010, after which he finally "retired".
Outside, the Jeep Commander is perceived as a car for real men - uncouth forms with chopped outlines, trapezoidal wheel arches with fake bolts on expanders, a deliberately rough radiator grille with seven "family" slots and rectangular lighting equipment. The SUV looks powerful, weighty and brutal.
The Commander is 4787 mm long, 1900 mm wide, 1826 mm high, and wheelbase and ground clearance, respectively, are 2781 mm and 210 mm. Depending on the version, the "American" weighs from 1992 to 2190 kg in "combat" form.
The interior of the Jeep Commander is tailored to match the exterior in a masculine and simple style, completely devoid of smooth and sophisticated lines. The monumental center console is crowned with a multimedia complex with a color screen and “washers” of the climate system, and behind the heavy four-spoke “donut” of the steering wheel there is a laconic “toolkit” with analog devices. The interior of the SUV is assembled quite clumsily, and all panels are made of hard plastic: soft materials can only be felt on the steering wheel and door panels in the upper part.
The front seats of the Commander with an overly wide profile lack lateral support, but they provide a commandingly high landing. The inhabitants of the second row of seats will definitely not complain about tightness, but the “gallery” is suitable only for children or very tiny people.
The volume of the luggage compartment of the Jeep Commander varies from 170 liters with a seven-seat layout to 1940 liters with the rear seatbacks folded down to form a completely flat floor. A full-size "reserve" of the car is suspended under the bottom.
Specifications. In Russia, an American SUV meets with three various engines, a non-alternative 5-band "automatic" and two all-wheel drive packages - Quadra-Trac II or Quadra-Drive II. Each of the schemes implies the presence of a two-stage transfer box, but in the first case, the moment is distributed by means of an interaxle differential, and in the second - three differentials (interaxle and interwheel) with electronic control.
- There is only one diesel engine available for the Commander - a 3.0-liter "six" with a V-shaped layout and turbocharging, developing 218 "horses" at 4000 rpm and 510 Nm of peak thrust at 1600 rpm. You can’t exactly call such a car “let’s go”: from a standstill to 100 km / h it accelerates in 9 seconds and lures 191 km / h as much as possible. Passport expense fuel - 10.8 liters in combined conditions.
- Under the hood of the gasoline versions are V-shaped eight-cylinder units with distributed injection and a 16-valve timing with a volume of 4.7 and 5.7 liters:
- "junior" variant produces 303 horsepower at 5650 rpm and 445 Nm of torque at 3950 rpm,
- "senior" - 326 "mares" at 5000 rpm and 500 Nm at 4000 rpm.
Depending on the performance, conquering the first “hundred” of the car takes 7.4-9 seconds, the “maximum speed” is 208-210 km / h, and the “appetite” ranges from 13.9 to 15.5 liters in the combined cycle.
"Commander" is designed on the platform Jeep Grand Cherokee with the index WH and has a load-bearing body structure with an "integrated frame" and located in the longitudinal direction power plant. Installed on the front of the SUV independent suspension with double A-arms, and at the rear - a dependent five-link design.
The rack-and-pinion steering system is supplemented by a power steering booster, and the brake package is expressed by ventilated front discs, rear “pancakes” and ABS.
Prices. On the secondary market Russia in 2016 sold a decent amount of Jeep Commander at a price of 600,000 rubles. All versions of the car are equipped with a set of airbags, ABS, ESP, "cruise", dual-zone "climate", fog lights, leather interior, heated and electric front seats, standard audio system, four power windows, 17-inch wheels and factory alarm.