Brazilian Jeep Commander based on global Compass: 7 seats and unique design
The Jeep brand, owned by Stellantis Corporation, has made an exclusive model for Latin America – the 7-seater Commander crossover. It will be assembled in Brazilian Goian along with the related Compass, sales will begin in October.
In Brazil, Stellantis Corporation has a very strong position: Fiat sold 116,635 cars here in the first half of this year, Jeep – 73,238, Peugeot – 9819, Citroen – 7638. Together, these four brands dominate the market, but if we consider the brands separately, then the undisputed leader is Volkswagen, which sold 146,419 cars.
The new Commander is an attempt to make Brazilians more loyal to the Jeep brand: they say the car is designed specifically for you, the company slammed a lot of money into it and hopes you will like it. The Brazilian Commander should not be confused with the frame SUV of the same name, which was produced in the first decade of this century in the USA and Austria, and with the current Chinese Commander crossover – it is slightly larger than the Brazilian one, is based on the Cherokee and has a different design.
Cherokee is not represented in Brazil, but Compass is sold and produced here, so it was logical to make a larger model based on it, that is, on the Small Wide 4 × 4 platform. The wheelbase has been increased from 2640 to 2794 mm, the overall length has grown from 4420 to 4769 mm, so there is now quite enough space for the third row of seats, although, judging by the pictures, it will be cramped for adult passengers.
All exterior body panels and lighting equipment of the Brazilian Commander are new, in style it is more similar not to the Compass, but to the Jeep Grand Cherokee L presented at the beginning of the year. But from the driver's seat, Commander is exactly the same as the updated Compass, except that the finishing materials are larger and more expensive model is better. The volume of the trunk for a 7-seater is 233 liters, for a 5-seater – 661 liters, and if you leave only the driver and front passenger – 1760 liters. Curb weight – from 1658 to 1908, depending on the modification.
Only two power units are provided for the Commander. A 1.3-liter dual-fuel (gasoline / ethanol) “turbo four” (180-185 hp, 270 Nm) comes in combination with a 6-speed hydromechanical “automatic” and front-wheel drive. A 2.0-liter turbodiesel (170 hp, 380 Nm) is offered complete with a 9-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive and a set of driving programs for different types of soil.
The equipment is quite rich: the base has 7 airbags, a set of modern electronic driver assistants (including an automatic emergency braking system, adaptive cruise control and a traffic sign recognition system), a leather interior, an electric tailgate and wireless charging for a smartphone, and at the top, the crossover boasts a 450-watt Harman Kardon audio system and a panoramic glass sunroof.
From Brazil, the Jeep Commander will be shipped to other countries in Latin America, but it is unlikely to appear outside of this region. In India, a technically similar 7-seat model is expected, but already locally assembled and, most likely, with simpler equipment. In Brazil, Commander prices range from 199,990 to 279,990 reais (2.81 million to 3.94 million conventional units at the current rate).