The Jeep Commander is a

mid-size SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definition ...

that was manufactured from 2005 to 2010 by the

Jeep Jeep is an American automobile brand, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with other assets, from its previous owner, American Motors Co ...

division of the American manufacturer

Chrysler FCA US, LLC, Trade name, doing business as Stellantis North America and known historically as Chrysler ( ), is one of the "Big Three (automobile manufacturers), Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn H ...

Concept car

Jeep exhibited a

concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle or show vehicle) is a car made to showcase new styling or new technology. Concept cars are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not ...

named Commander during the 1999

auto show An auto show, also known as a motor show or car show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is attended by automotive industry representatives, dealers, auto journalists a ...

circuit. The concept featured an experimental

direct methanol fuel cell Direct methanol fuel cells or DMFCs are a subcategory of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells in which methanol is used as the fuel and a special proton-conducting polymer as the membrane (PEM). Their main advantage is low temperature operation an ...

that produced electricity to charge a

nickel–metal hydride battery A nickel–metal hydride battery (NiMH or Ni–MH) is a type of rechargeable battery. The chemical reaction at the positive electrode is similar to that of the nickel–cadmium cell (NiCd), with both using nickel oxide hydroxide (NiOOH). Ho ...

pack. Full-time four-wheel drive was by a severe duty electric motor on each axle. The suspension could be raised for traversing off-road purposes. The overall styling influenced the development of the third-generation Grand Cherokee that was at that time six years away. The concept car had the same height as production Grand Cherokees, but was about wider. This allowed for an interior featuring an extra wide center console in the front and three bucket seats in the second row. The Commander concept had no relation to the production SUV.

Production

The production version of the Jeep Commander (XK and the diesel-powered XH export version) debuted at the 2005

New York Auto Show The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show that is held in Manhattan, New York City in late March or early April. It is held at the Javits Center, Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weeke ...

as a five- or seven-passenger counterpart of the

Jeep Liberty The Jeep Liberty is a four door unibody compact SUV manufactured and marketed by Jeep for model years 2002–2012 over two generations, internally designated the KJ (2002–2007) and KK (2008–2012), respectively. Both generations were marketed ...

. It was developed to target consumers who wanted a three-row SUV, but designed to be only two inches longer than the

Jeep Grand Cherokee The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a range of mid-sized sport utility vehicles produced by American manufacturer Jeep. At its introduction, while most SUVs were still manufactured with body-on-frame construction, the Grand Cherokee has used a unibody ...

with its two-rows of seats as well as to be assembled on the same production line. It shared its

unibody A vehicle frame, also historically known as its ''chassis'', is the main supporting structure of a motor vehicle to which all other components are attached, comparable to the skeleton of an organism. Until the 1930s, virtually every car had ...

construction, independent short/long arm front suspension and its 5-link

live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film * ''Live'' (2023 film), a Malayalam-language film *'' Live: Phát Trực Tiếp'', a Vietnamese-langua ...

rear axle with the Grand Cherokee on which it was based. It featured an upright windshield and squared-off sides. Its stepped roof was disguised by the roof rack; a design similar to the GMC Envoy XL and Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT. This allowed the second and third-row seats to be mounted higher than the first-row seats. When released initially, the Jeep Commander was well reviewed by automotive journalists. In the November 2005 issue of ''

Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine first published in 1955. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased it from its prior owner Hachette Fi ...

'', the 2006 Jeep Commander won a comparison with a 2006 Ford Explorer and is spoken about positively. The article coincides with the first model year of the Jeep Commander. Jeep Commander 002

Features

Standard features included:

electronic stability control Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a car handling, vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of Tract ...

traction control A traction control system (TCS), is typically (but not necessarily) a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction (i.e., wheelspin) of the driven road wheels. TCS ...

, electronic roll mitigation, back up sensors,

immobiliser An immobiliser or immobilizer is an electronic security device fitted to a motor vehicle that prevents the engine from being started unless the correct key (transponder or smart key) is present. This prevents the vehicle from being "Hotwiring ...

, front dual-stage and side curtain

airbags An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate in milliseconds during a collision and then deflate afterwards. It consists of an airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. ...

, TPMS, power heated mirrors, remote keyless entry, automatic headlights, ''UConnect'' infotainment system and a full-size spare wheel. Some optional features included: automatic wipers, a 276-watt Boston Acoustics premium sound system, hands-free phone integration, dual zone auto climate control, remote start, a power liftgate, heated first and second row seats, auto dimming mirrors, hill start assist, hill descent control, and adjustable pedals. ''Smartbeam'' headlights were also available as well as

HID headlight A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term for t ...

s. The optional ''Command View'' sunroof package included a power front sunroof and two smaller sunroofs over the second-row seats. The Commander also had an optional entertainment package which included a DVD player, TV, and

backup camera A backup camera (also called a reversing camera or rear-view camera) is a video camera specifically designed to be attached to the rear of a vehicle to aid in Reversing (vehicle maneuver), reversing and reduce the rear Blind spot (vehicle), blind ...

. In Europe and certain other markets like Chile, South Africa, and South Korea, the Commander offered a V6

Diesel engine The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...

Off-Road Capabilities

The Commander was offered with three different four-wheel drive systems: Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II, and

Quadra-Drive II Jeep uses a variety of four-wheel drive systems on their vehicles. These range from basic part-time systems that require the driver to move a control lever to send power to four wheels, to permanent four-wheel systems that monitor and sense tract ...

. Quadra-Trac I was available on models equipped with the 3.7 L engine; it is a full-time system that requires no driver input. Quadra-Trac II was available on models equipped with a

V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight- cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. Origins The first known V8 was the Antoinette, designed by Léon Levavasseur, a ...

; it is a full-time system as well but adds a low range as well as a neutral position for towing. Quadra-Drive II expands on Quadra-Trac II by adding electronic

limited slip differential A limited-slip differential (LSD) is a type of differential gear train that allows its two output shafts to rotate at different speeds but limits the maximum difference between the two shafts. Limited-slip differentials are often known by the ...

s to the front and rear axles. When equipped with Quadra-Drive II, skid plates for the fuel tank, front suspension, and transfer case were also added.

Trims

Base/Sport - 2006–2010: Includes: 3.7 L V6 engine or 4.7 L V8 engine, AM/FM radio with CD player and six speakers, alloy wheels, cloth seats, Automatic transmission. keyless entry, power windows, door locks, and driver's seat, and five-passenger seating; seven-passenger seating available. Limited - 2006–2010: Includes: 4.7 L or 5.7 L HEMI V8 engine, AM/FM radio with six-disc integral CD changer and six Boston Acoustics speakers, security system, dual power seats, leather seats, and standard seven-passenger seating. Overland - 2007–2009: Includes: 5.7 L Hemi V8 engine, AM/FM radio with GPS navigation and six-disc integral CD changer, Sirius satellite radio, wire mesh grille insert, leather-and-suede seats with embroidered Overland logos, wood-trimmed steering wheel, leather-wrapped emergency brake handle with leather-wrapped door handles as well, and dual-panel ''Command View'' sunroof. 65th Anniversary Edition - only in 2006: Includes 3.7 L or 4.7 L engine, unique 65th-anniversary badges on the front doors and front bucket seats, power driver seat, unique embroidered floor mats, folding third row seats, automatic front headlamps, front fog lamps, premium sound system with six speakers and a 276-watt external amplifier, an AM/FM stereo with six-disc, in-dash CD/MP3 changer, Sirius satellite radio, and Radio Data System (RDS), unique darkened seventeen-inch (17"x7.5") alloy wheels, a full-size spare tire on a matching wheel. Rocky Mountain - (2007–2009): Includes 3.7 L or 4.7 L engine, unique Rocky Mountain badges on the front doors and front bucket seats, power driver seat, folding third-row seats, automatic front headlamps, front fog lamps, Boston Acoustics premium sound system with six speakers and a 276-watt external amplifier, an AM/FM stereo with six-disc, in-dash CD/MP3 changer, (navigation available), Sirius satellite radio, and Radio Data System (RDS), unique darkened seventeen-inch (17"x7.5") alloy wheels, a full-size spare tire on a matching wheel.

Engines

Discontinuation

The Jeep Commander was discontinued after the 2010 model year. Chrysler announced that the 2011

Dodge Durango The Dodge Durango is a mid-size SUV produced by Dodge starting with the 1998 model year. The first two generations were very similar in that both were based on the Dodge Dakota and Dodge Ram, both featured a body-on-frame construction and both ...

would be its successor; which is produced alongside its platform-mate the 2011

at Jefferson North Assembly in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. Shortly after production ended, Chrysler CEO

Sergio Marchionne Sergio Marchionne (; 17 June 1952 – 25 July 2018) was an Italian-Canadian businessman, widely known for his turnarounds of the automakers Fiat and Chrysler, his business acumen and his outspoken and often frank approach, especially when dealing ...

said of the Commander, "That vehicle was unfit for human consumption. We sold some. But I don't know why people bought them." In 2017,

released a three-row concept vehicle based on the

Jeep Cherokee (KL) The Jeep Cherokee (KL) is a compact crossover SUV that was manufactured and marketed by the Jeep marque of Stellantis North America. Introduced for model year 2014 at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, sales began in November 2013. It ...

platform for the Chinese market, called the

Yuntu, utilizing a plug-in gasoline/electric hybrid power train. A three-row version of the

with slightly altered styling was released exclusively for the Chinese market named the Jeep Grand Commander. While similar in size to the original Commander, the Grand Commander will offer four-cylinder power. It will not be sold in any other markets.

Total sales

Notes

References

{{Jeep car timeline

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

2010s cars All-wheel-drive vehicles Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Mid-size sport utility vehicles Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States Cars introduced in 2005 Cars discontinued in 2010