Following the 2018 Wrangler's premiere in LA last
week, Jeep are now looking to expand their presence in China with an entirely
new SUV, named Grand Commander. The patent images that leaked from the
country's National Trademark Office and were posted by Autohome, reveal a
design similar to the Grand Cherokee, at the front.
It appears that the new SUV is actually the
production version of the Jeep Yuntu Concept, which was shown for the first
time at the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show. It comes with a generous footprint that
will allow it to compete locally against the Toyota Highlander and Volkswagen
Teramont, offering seating for seven, unlike the study's six-seat layout.
Power is believed to come from the 2.0-liter
turbocharged inline-four cylinder that's found on the new Wrangler, where it
makes 268 hp and 400 Nm of torque. Further details are scarce at the
moment, but Jeep is expected to shed more light on the new Grand Commander next
April, as it should debut at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show.
In other related news, one patent images reveals
additional FCA products aimed at the People's Republic. The first one is
allegedly the Chinese name of the Grand Commander, which is said to translate
as 'Big Commander', literally, followed by the Deserthawk, a Renegade special
edition.
The Pacifica is also on that list, as is the Grand Cherokee Summit, a more upscale version of the
SUV, and Hyperspace, which could announce a new concept car. Finally, Portal,
and Chrysler Portal are mentioned as well, which likely refer to the Portal
Concept that debuted at CES 2017.