India-bound Jeep Commander SUV, based on Compass, to debut on August 26
Jeep is gearing up to officially unveil its new three-row SUV Commander later this month. The US carmaker has confirmed August 26 for the global debut of the new seven-seater SUV. It is likely to hit the Indian markets next year, though the SUV will be produced at Jeep’s Chakan plant in Maharashtra.
Jeep Commander will be based on the carmaker’s compact SUV Compass. The name Commander has been finalised for the SUV in global markets. However, for India, Jeep may change the name of the SUV from Commander to Meridian.
Jeep has recently released a teaser video of the new Commander/Meridian SUV. The video highlights some design changes, including a more curved front fascia than seen in the existing Compass models. The Commander SUV is likely to get design cues from the Jeep Wagoneer. The design of the grille, the LED headlights and rear bumper are likely to be tweaked a bit. However, the iconic seven-slat design is likely to remain.
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There is yet no confirmed detail about the interior of the Jeep Commander/Meridian SUV. However, according to reports, the passengers in the middle row of the SUV will get captain seats. This essentially means that Jeep is likely to offer a six-seater variant of the three-row SUV too.
It is also expected that the Jeep Commander SUV will be offered with various features such as connected car technology, multi-zone climate control, touchscreen infotainment system integrated with the wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon Alexa and a digital instrument cluster.
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. Also, 4x4 configuration is also likely to be offered.
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.
