It’s no secret Jeep has big plans for the Chinese market and these leaked plans of a seven-passenger SUV confirm the automaker’s future goals. It’s called the Grand Commander, and it's basically the production version of the Jeep Yuntu Concept seen at the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show. The news comes by way of China’s National Trademark Office where the patent images were lifted.
Reports around the web indicate the Grand Commander will utilize Jeep’s new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that debuted with the new 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL. The engine will likely produce the same 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The Wrangler’s future plug-in hybrid powertrain is also expected in the Grand Commander. Expect Fiat Chrysler’s eight-speed automatic and an AWD or 4WD system, as well.
Information on the Grand Commander’s debut date and its first model year is still absent, however, it’s expected Jeep will reveal the three-row SUV at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show in April. If that’s true, the Grand Commander could be on track for the 2019 model year. Jeep will most likely build the Grand Commander in China.
Continue reading for more information.
TopSpeed’s Thoughts
These sketches have us scratching our head. It looks like Jeep grafted on the Grand Cherokee’s front clip onto a Dodge Durango. While that might sound lazy move for the U.S. market, it could be a great plan for the Chinese market. The Dodge Durango isn’t sold there, so the reference would likely be lost. The cavernous interior should prove plenty big, and the added Jeep branding would make it a luxury buy. Of course, it’s completely unknown if the Grand Commander will share its unibody platform with the Durango. It’s the rear styling that suggests the correlation.
On another note, Jeep is intrinsically American, which is a big selling point in the Chinese market. It’s the same principle that makes German brands so appealing to Americans. Still, Jeep would likely build the Grand Commander in China to save on production costs while capitalizing on China’s impressive labor force.
More solid information will likely become known at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show where Jeep is expected to debut the SUV. We’ll keep you posted with more details as they become available.
Hat tip to Motor1
References
Read more about the Jeep Yuntu Concept
2018 Jeep Wrangler
Read our full review on the 2018 Jeep Wrangler.
Read more Jeep news.