So after much teasing, Jeep has finally scheduled the launch of the Commander on August 26, 2021. The three-row Compass sibling will be produced at Jeep’s Chakan plant in Maharashtra. However, it is most likely to make its India debut next year with the Meridian badge. The Commander will sit between the Compass and the Grand Cherokee in the US automaker’s global line-up.
The Jeep Commander has been seen on tests many times in India and in South America. Multiple spy pictures have emerged from time to time giving us an idea of the SUV’s Compass inspired front facia. However, it will be significantly bigger than its 2-row sibling. It will have unique styling beyond the B-pillar and will feature longer rear doors and a more upright rear design, similar to that seen on newer Jeeps like the Grand Cherokee L and Grand Wagoneer. Its tailgate will also derive design cues from the Grand Cherokee sold overseas that have horizontally positioned tail lamps with LED elements. The American SUV will most likely retain its iconic seven-slat grille design, along with the LED headlights.
Jeep Brazil released a teaser video of the new Commander on its social media page last month. The clip highlights the interior of the upcoming 3-row SUV. As seen on the teaser, the seats seem to be draped in premium brown leather, the driver console is fully digital, the central console has metal elements with a dark copperish finish. The second row of the teased vehicle has bench seats, however, we believe Jeep will also provide another model option with captain seats in the middle row.
Jeep Commander is likely to be powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel engine also used in the Compass SUV. Besides the turbocharged diesel mill, Jeep is also likely to add a twin-turbo engine as well. The engine will be capable of producing around 200 bhp of power and 400 Nm of peak torque. The engines are likely to be mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox. We also expect a 4×4 configuration to be offered in the Commander/Meridian.
When launched, the new Jeep Commander SUV will take on three-row SUV rivals like MG Gloster, Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace and Skoda Kodiaq. It will face additional competition in India in the form of the current three-row SUV segment favourites like Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar and MG Hector Plus.
