The Jeep Commander XK and XH (for diesel-powered export version) is a

mid-size SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...

that was manufactured from 2005 to 2010 by the

Jeep Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...

division of the American manufacturer

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

Concept car

Jeep exhibited a

concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...

named Commander during the 1999

auto show An auto show, also known as a motor show or car show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is attended by automotive industry representatives, dealers, auto journalists a ...

circuit. The concept featured an experimental

direct methanol fuel cell Direct-methanol fuel cells or DMFCs are a subcategory of proton-exchange fuel cells in which methanol is used as the fuel. Their main advantage is the ease of transport of methanol, an energy-dense yet reasonably stable liquid at all environmental ...

that produced electricity to charge a

nickel–metal hydride battery A nickel metal hydride battery (NiMH or Ni–MH) is a type of rechargeable battery. The chemical reaction at the positive electrode is similar to that of the Nickel–cadmium battery, nickel–cadmium cell (NiCd), with both using nickel oxid ...

pack. Full-time four-wheel drive was by a severe duty electric motor on each axle. The suspension could be raised for traversing off-road purposes. The overall styling influenced the development of the third-generation Grand Cherokee that was at that time six years away. The concept car had the same height as production Grand Cherokees, but was about wider. This allowed for an interior featuring an extra wide center console in the front and three bucket seats in the second row. The Commander concept had no relation to the production SUV.

Production

The production version of the Jeep Commander (XK and the diesel-powered XH export version) debuted at the 2005

New York Auto Show The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show that is held in Manhattan in late March or early April. It is held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes on the first Su ...

as a five- or seven-passenger counterpart of the

Jeep Liberty The Jeep Liberty is a four door unibody compact SUV four-door manufactured and marketed by Jeep for model years 2002–2012 over two generations, internally designed the KJ (2002-2007) and KK (2008-2012), respectively. Both generations were mark ...

. It was developed to target consumers who wanted a three-row SUV, but designed to be only two inches longer than the

Jeep Grand Cherokee The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a range of mid-size SUVs produced by the American manufacturer Jeep. At its introduction, while most SUVs were still manufactured with body-on-frame construction, the Grand Cherokee has used a unibody chassis from the ...

with its two-rows of seats as well as to be assembled on the same production line. It shared its

unibody A vehicle frame, also historically known as its '' chassis'', is the main supporting structure of a motor vehicle to which all other components are attached, comparable to the skeleton of an organism. Until the 1930s, virtually every car ha ...

construction, independent short/long arm front suspension and its 5-link

live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...

rear axle with the

Grand Cherokee The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a range of mid-size SUVs produced by the American manufacturer Jeep. At its introduction, while most SUVs were still manufactured with body-on-frame construction, the Grand Cherokee has used a unibody chassis from the ...

on which it was based. It featured an upright windshield and squared-off sides. Its stepped roof was disguised by the roof rack; a design similar to the

GMC Envoy XL The GMC Envoy is a mid-size SUV, manufactured and marketed by General Motors for model years 1998-2009 over two generations. Adopting a nameplate used by GM Canada, the Envoy was a rebadged variant of the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, Oldsmobile Brava ...

and Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT. This allowed the second and third-row seats to be mounted higher than the first-row seats. Jeep Commander 002

Features

Standard features included:

electronic stability control Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction ( skiddi ...

traction control A traction control system (TCS), also known as ASR (from german: Antriebsschlupfregelung, lit=drive slippage regulation), is typically (but not necessarily) a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) on production motor vehicle ...

, electronic roll mitigation, back up sensors,

immobiliser An immobiliser or immobilizer is an electronic security device fitted to a motor vehicle that prevents the engine from being started unless the correct key (''transponder'' or ''smart key'') is present. This prevents the vehicle from being " ...

, front dual-stage and side curtain

airbags An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate extremely quickly, then quickly deflate during a collision. It consists of the airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. T ...

, TPMS, power heated mirrors,

remote keyless entry A remote keyless system (RKS), also known as keyless entry or remote central locking, is an electronic lock that controls access to a building or vehicle by using an electronic remote control (activated by a handheld device or automatically by ...

, automatic headlights, ''UConnect'' infotainment system and a full-size spare wheel. Some optional features included: automatic wipers, a 276-watt

Boston Acoustics Boston Acoustics was an American manufacturer of home and mobile audio equipment founded in 1979. The company produced speakers for home, custom/architectural, and car audio. History Advent veterans Andy Kotsatos (known as Andy Pettit) and Fr ...

premium sound system, hands-free phone integration, dual zone auto climate control, remote start, a power liftgate, heated first and second row seats, auto dimming mirrors, hill start assist, hill descent control, and adjustable pedals. ''Smartbeam'' headlights were also available as well as

HID headlight A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term fo ...

s. The optional ''Command View'' sunroof package included a power front sunroof and two smaller sunroofs over the second-row seats. The Commander also had an optional entertainment package which included a DVD player, TV, and

backup camera A backup camera (also called a reversing camera or rear-view camera) is a special type of video camera that is produced specifically for the purpose of being attached to the rear of a vehicle to aid in backing up and to alleviate the rear blind ...

. In Europe and certain other markets like Chile, South Africa, and South Korea, the Commander offered a V6

Diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...

Off-Road Capabilities

The Commander was offered with three different four-wheel drive systems: Quadra-Trac I,

Quadra-Trac II Jeep uses a variety of four-wheel drive systems on their vehicles. These range from basic part-time systems that require the driver to move a control lever to send power to four wheels, to permanent four-wheel systems that monitor and sense trac ...

, and

Quadra-Drive II Jeep uses a variety of four-wheel drive systems on their automobile, vehicles. These range from basic part-time systems that require the driver to move a control lever to send power to four wheels, to permanent four-wheel systems that monitor and ...

. Quadra-Trac I was available on models equipped with the 3.7 L engine; it is a full-time system that requires no driver input. Quadra-Trac II was available on models equipped with a

V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...

; it is a full-time system as well but adds a low range as well as a neutral position for towing. Quadra-Drive II expands on Quadra-Trac II by adding electronic

limited slip differential A limited-slip differential (LSD) is a type of differential that allows its two output shafts to rotate at different speeds but limits the maximum difference between the two shafts. Limited-slip differentials are often known by the generic tr ...

s to the front and rear axles. When equipped with Quadra-Drive II,

skid plate A skid plate is an abrasion-resistant material affixed to the underside of a vehicle or boat to prevent damage to the underside when contact is made with the ground. Skid plates may be used on off-road Off-roading is the activity of dri ...

s for the fuel tank, front suspension, and transfer case were also added.

Trims

Base/Sport - 2006-2010: Includes: 3.7 L V6 engine or 4.7 L V8 engine, AM/FM radio with CD player and six speakers, alloy wheels, cloth seats, Automatic transmission. keyless entry, power windows, door locks, and driver's seat, and five-passenger seating; seven-passenger seating available. Limited - 2006-2010: Includes: 4.7 L or 5.7 L HEMI V8 engine, AM/FM radio with six-disc integral CD changer and six Boston Acoustics speakers, security system, dual power seats, leather seats, and standard seven-passenger seating. Overland - 2007-2009: Includes: 5.7 L Hemi V8 engine, AM/FM radio with GPS navigation and six-disc integral CD changer, Sirius satellite radio, wire mesh grille insert, leather-and-suede seats with embroidered Overland logos, wood-trimmed steering wheel, leather-wrapped emergency brake handle with leather-wrapped door handles as well, and dual-panel ''Command View'' sunroof. 65th Anniversary Edition - only in 2006: Includes 3.7 L or 4.7 L engine, unique 65th-anniversary badges on the front doors and front bucket seats, power driver seat, unique embroidered floor mats, folding third row seats, automatic front headlamps, front fog lamps, premium sound system with six speakers and a 276-watt external amplifier, an AM/FM stereo with six-disc, in-dash CD/MP3 changer, Sirius satellite radio, and Radio Data System (RDS), unique darkened seventeen-inch (17"x7.5") alloy wheels, a full-size spare tire on a matching wheel. Rocky Mountain - (2007-2009): Includes 3.7 L or 4.7 L engine, unique Rocky Mountain badges on the front doors and front bucket seats, power driver seat, folding third-row seats, automatic front headlamps, front fog lamps, Boston Acoustics premium sound system with six speakers and a 276-watt external amplifier, an AM/FM stereo with six-disc, in-dash CD/MP3 changer, (navigation available), Sirius satellite radio, and Radio Data System (RDS), unique darkened seventeen-inch (17"x7.5") alloy wheels, a full-size spare tire on a matching wheel.

Engines

Discontinuation

The Jeep Commander was discontinued after the 2010 model year. Chrysler announced that the 2011

Dodge Durango The Dodge Durango is a mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by Dodge in three generations starting with the 1998 model year. The first two generations were very similar in that both were based on the Dodge Dakota and Ram Pickup, both fe ...

would be its successor; which is produced alongside its platform-mate the 2011

Jefferson North Assembly Jefferson North Assembly Plant (JNAP) is a Stellantis North America automobile assembly factory in Detroit, Michigan. Located on East Jefferson Avenue 6 mi (9.6 km) from downtown, near Grosse Pointe Park, the factory opened in 1991 as a m ...

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

. Shortly after production ended, Chrysler CEO

Sergio Marchionne Sergio Marchionne (; 17 June 1952 – 25 July 2018) was an Italian-Canadian businessman, widely known for his turnarounds of the automakers Fiat and Chrysler, his business acumen and his outspoken and often frank approach, especially when dealing ...

said of the Commander, "That vehicle was unfit for human consumption. We sold some. But I don't know why people bought them." In 2017,

released a three-row concept vehicle based on the

Jeep Cherokee (KL) The Jeep Cherokee (KL) is a compact crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by the Jeep marque of Stellantis North America. Introduced for model year 2014 at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, sales began in November 2013. It occupies ...

platform for the Chinese market, called the

Yuntu, utilizing a plug-in gasoline/electric hybrid power train. A three-row version of the

with slightly altered styling was released exclusively for the Chinese market named the

Jeep Grand Commander The Jeep Grand Commander (project code: ''K8'') is a mid-size crossover SUV with three-row seating manufactured by Jeep through the GAC-Stellantis, GAC Fiat Chrysler joint venture in China from 2018 to 2022. Overview Previewed by the Yuntu Co ...

. While similar in size to the original Commander, the Grand Commander will offer four-cylinder power. It will not be sold in any other markets.

Total sales

Notes

References

{{Jeep car timeline

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

2010s cars All-wheel-drive vehicles Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Mid-size sport utility vehicles Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States Cars introduced in 2005