Remember the Commander mid-sized utility vehicle produced until the 2010 model year? The Grand Cherokee-based people carrier was indirectly replaced by the Grand Commander in China three years ago. Over in Brazil, the Stellantis-owned company has launched yet another Commander SUV.
Internally referred to as Project 598, the seven-seat crossover is manufactured in Goiana Pernambuco for the local market and a few other South American countries. You won’t see this fellow in the United States anytime soon, which is a bit of a shame considering how much demand there is for a stretched crossover with enough passenger space for the family.
Now available to pre-order from 199,990 reais (make that $38,070 at current exchange rates), the Commander is available in four well-equipped flavors: the Limited with front-wheel drive and a turbocharged gasoline engine, Limited with four-wheel drive and a turbocharged diesel engine, and the range-topping Overland with both of the aforementioned hardware combos.
The T270 flex-fuel powerplant develops 180 metric horsepower on gasoline or 185 on ethanol, and the only transmission available is a six-speed unit. As for the TD380 oil-burning motor, make that 170 ponies and nine speeds.
Torque favors the diesel, of course, for it develops 380 Nm (280 pound-feet) from 1,750 revolutions per minute. Given the footprint and weight of the vehicle with passengers onboard, the compression-ignition engine definitely is the right choice. Inspired by the facelifted Compass and Grand Commander for the Chinese market in terms of design, the Latin American crossover also features a cooper-like finish for the badges on the front doors. This hue mirrors the body-on-frame Grand Wagoneer’s tailgate nameplate.
Extremely nice on the inside, the Commander may not be the right vehicle for the most passionate Jeep enthusiasts out there. Be that as it may, the “Since 1941” motif on the leather-wrapped center console is a testament to the brand’s 80-year history of go-anywhere capability. Just like the 2022 model year Compass, this fellow also features the Android Automotive-powered Uconnect 5 operating system. In this application, we’re dealing with a 10.1-inch touchscreen and a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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