Six straight questionsBoy, this is one skyscraper of an SUV! Is this the biggest Jeep ever? |
| (Photo: John LeBlanc, straight-six.com) |
Hello down there, and yes, the new, seven-passenger
Commander is definitely the biggest Jeep ever offered for sale. Like the smaller Jeep Grand Cherokee the Commander is based on, there's a choice of three engines and three different all-wheel-drive systems. They share the same 2,781.3 millimetre wheelbase, but it's hard not to notice that the largest Jeep ever is 50.8 mms longer and nearly 101.6 mms taller than the mid-sized Grand Cherokee. Better to accommodate the extra row of seats out back, you see.
Did Jeep's stylists lose their French curves when designing this box-on-wheels? |
| (Photo: John LeBlanc, straight-six.com) |
This new Jeep certainly hails from the cubist school of design. Jeep claims the original Cherokee was inspiration for the new Commander's styling. But passersby are more than likely to recognize some very Hummer-esge cues, especially from the back. From a practical standpoint, the Commander's wheels have been placed near the corners so tight overhangs don't get you hung up when you and your six friends are off-roading. Overall, the styling states the big Jeep's utilitarian mission and lets your neighbours know you didn't buy some wussy crossover. My test car was a $40,995 base model, which lacked the chrome grille, side moulding and rear grab handles from the pimped-out $51,195 Limited model.
The big box styling must make the Commander huge inside, no? |
| (Photo: John LeBlanc, straight-six.com) |
Um, yes and no. Compared to the Grand Cherokee, front and second row passengers experience similar hip and leg room, but the Commander's taller roof and more upright glass gives a feeling of extra space. The more vertical windshield helps here as well. Jeep dealers have long been tired of losing customers who need to chauffeur more than five people, so taking the Grand Cherokee and giving it that extra row of seats seems like an obvious business solution. But the Commander is limited by the
Grand Cherokee's midsize dimensions, so like a Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango or the
Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT, the smaller and more agile you are, the more comfortable you'll be getting in and out of that third row. Keep in mind; with the third row of seats in use, cargo space is a compact-car-like 212 litres.
