Jeep Commander returns to North America

The new Commander in Mexico has three rows of seats to meet the demand for affordability and is positioned between the compact and mid-sized SUVs in the Jeep range

The last Jeep Commanders rolled off the assembly line at Jefferson North in 2010, gradually disappearing into the fog of discontinued SUVs. But guess what? The Commander is back, just not where you thought he would be. If you’re in North America and feeling nostalgic, you’ll have to head south of the border to get your hands on one.

Designed to sit between the Compass and Grand Cherokee, the Mexican Commander starts at MXN 734,900 ($35,556) and seats up to seven people. That’s a huge savings compared to the Grand Cherokee L, which starts at MXN 1,382,000 ($66,865).

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While Jeep offers various trims in Brazil, Mexican consumers can only get the Overland version of the Commander. It comes with fancy LED lighting, a gloss black roof, and 19-inch wheels. Buyers will also find a hands-free power tailgate, tow hooks and power mirrors with integrated turn signals.

The three-row crossover is 187.8 inches (4,769 mm) long and has a 110-inch (2,794 mm) wheelbase. This means the model is 17.1 inches (435 mm) shorter than the Grand Cherokee L, and the distance between the wheels is 11.7 inches (297 mm) shorter.

The car is equipped with a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel and a 10.1-inch Uconnect infotainment system. Brown Nappa leather seats with suede trim and copper contrast stitching.

The front seats feature eight-way power adjustment, and the second-row seats slide 5.5 inches (140 mm) to maximize legroom or cargo space. Speaking of which, when the last two rows are folded, this model can accommodate 62.2 cubic feet (1,760 liters) of luggage.

Other highlights include a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a panoramic sunroof and a nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. They also come with a wireless smartphone charger, dual-zone climate control and a range of driver assistance systems. The latter includes adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot detection and traffic sign recognition.

Power is provided by a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine producing 173 hp (129 kW / 175 PS) and 199 lb-ft (270 Nm) of torque. It comes with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like all-wheel drive will be available in the Mexican market until at least 2025.