Jeep’s commitment to the Chinese market is now on display at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show. Taking up a lot of space is the Jeep Grand Commander, a massive three-row, seven-seater, full-sized SUV that’s itching to take a bite out of the luxury SUV pie in the world’s biggest auto market. The Grand Commander is the latest in a long line of Jeep models that are available in China, including the Compass, Renegade, and the iconic Cherokee.

Leaked design trademark filings clued a lot of people in on the Jeep Grand Commander, and after months of speculation, the full-sized SUV has finally arrived. The Grand Commander’s dimensions haven’t been announced yet, but one look at it will tell you that this is a big SUV. It even sits on a long wheelbase, which largely explains why it stretches out longer than we expected.

On the design front, there’s not a lot of difference in the Grand Commander’s looks compared to the current Grand Cherokee, though the latter is decidedly sportier by virtue of having a more aggressive front bumper setup. The Commander, by comparison, looks more stately, partly because of its size and its status. The rectangular headlights connect to the bigger yet more compact front grille, while the bumper, fog lamps, and chrome trim have a business-like approach to them.

A teaser video of the Grand Commander’s interior reveals the full three-row seating layout. Not a lot of people will probably have too many complaints of the interior space considering that even with the three rows, there’s enough space to fit as many as seven adults inside. The front section looks more premium than the Grand Cherokee. Wood trim can be seen in a few spots, most notably on the top section of the steering wheel.

Speaking of the steering wheel, it’s loaded with a lot of buttons and control functions. The rest of the layout is what you’d expect, including the central casing that includes an infotainment system that’s flanked by a pair of A/C vents and cased by chrome trim that looks like underwear. It does!

There’s no confirmation of available powertrains for the Grand Commander, but the company’s Chinese website mentions that at least one of the engines that will be available is a 2.0-liter turbocharged mill that’s probably similar to the one available in the new Wrangler. That unit’s good for 268 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque on the Wrangler, so if the Grand Commander’s getting the same engine, expect that output to sit somewhere in the 350-horsepower range.

The arrival of the Grand Commander further bolsters Jeep’s already impressive lineup in the Chinese market. Just last year, Jeep sold more than 200,000 units in China, a massive increase from its 2016 sales numbers, when it posted 133,000 sold units. Granted, the first three months of 2018 have seen sales drop, but the arrival of the Grand Commander should help Jeep regain its momentum. As to when that “arrival” is going to be is another question. That will probably be answered over the next few days.

References

Read our full driven review on the 2019 Jeep Cherokee.

Read our full speculative review on the 2018 Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

Read more Jeep news.

Read more 2018 Beijing Auto Show news.