The Jeep Commander made its debut in 2005. The event was held in New York at the Annual Car Parade. It is fair to say Jeep had a surprise package. First of all, the departure from conventional Jeep designs was noticeable in the new Commander. Not only does the Commander look different from its predecessor, the Grand Cherokee. The Commander provides more seating than the Grand Cherokee.
Jeep is working hard to please its consumers. Todays car buyers have a lot of choice. There are a lot of competitors in seven-seat vehicles. Performance and looks are more important. It pays very well to fuse these two qualities. Especially on seven-seat vehicles. On the overall, customers will not be disappointed in the Jeep Commander. Coincidentally; the name 'Commander' is common among seven-seat car manufacturers. Maybe it sells.
Jeep has high expectations for its Commander model. Its creative design is more likely to attract sales bigger than its past models. Jeep's past models are the Studebaker Commander and Scammell Commander. These two models have less advanced features than the Jeep Commander. The name Commander has been maintained.
The main feature of the Jeep Commander is its moon roof. The Commander roof is tilted to the front. This feature allows the back seat passengers to have more leg space. The boxy appearance of the Commander is well proportioned. An equal balance between aesthetics and functionality. The Commander sports a modern look which doesn't compromise its passenger capacity.
The old Jeep Wagoner has an external appearance which is slightly similar to the Jeep Commander. It's amazing how the engineers blended the characteristics of the Jeep Wagoner with those of the Grand Cherokee. The Grand Cherokee inspired the development of the Jeep Commander. Features borrowed from the Grand Cherokee are not easily identifiable because of the stark difference in external appearance. They are more internal than external. This includes performance and power.
We haven't started discussing the Jeep Commander, until we talk about engine power. The Commander comes with three choices of engines. These are the V6 and two types of V8 engines. The first V8 engine has a capacity of 5. 7 liters. The second V8 engine has a capacity of 3. 7 liters. This engine package is convenient for different types of consumers. Types of drivers ranging from speed maniacs, rough terrain travellers and luggage packers will find it easy to select the proper engine. A note to speed lovers, the Commander is not made for speed though.
The Jeep Commander is a medium sized vehicle that satisfies the needs of SUVdrivers. Drivers of small SUVs are frustrated by the limited carrying capacity and large fuel consumption of small SUVs. Drivers of large SUVs are frustrated by the truck-like behaviour and large fuel consumption of large SUVs. Big SUVs don't behave like ordinary petrol vehicles. They can be noisy and are not capable of smooth driving.
The Jeep Commander debut was delayed for a number of reasons. First, Jeep was under pressure to produce the latest SUV with modern capabilities of rivals. Secondly, Jeep was wanted to produce a long all-in-one vehicle with seven seaters. Thirdly, and Jeep did not want to produce a plain copy of several SUVs in the market. Jeep wanted something unique, although the Commander did not set a new trend anyway.
Spectators are waiting for the release of the next Commander. Jeep will be anxious to add new features to keep ahead of its competitors. The Jeep Commander 2007 model sports cool features in the form of platinum accents. This model is the Jeep Commander Overland. The Commander Overland looks like the Grand Cherokee. Platinum additions are visible on the side moulds; side roof railings, grilles and rear assist handling. Jeep also plans to introduce power lift gates for its Commander model. The Jeep Commander is one of the top vehicles searched by consumers on the internet.
Annual sales of the Jeep Commander have not been impressive. Jeep recorded a poor performance on its Commander model in February 2007. The Commander sales went down by 24%. However, the Commander was not the worst loser. The biggest loser was the Jeep Liberty which registered a 41% decline in sales. Slightly below the Commander is the Jeep Cherokee which declined by 22%. The Jeep brand had some face savers though. The Jeep Wrangler was the biggest winner with 63% increase in sales. Another winner, the Jeep Compass which made its debut in 2006 sold a promising 4, 071 units.
Andy Zain is the admin of Jeep Forum, a popular Jeep Commander forum where fans and owners can get the right information for tuning, customization and general discussions on anything about Jeep Commander.