The Commander name seems to be making the news pretty often these days. A few weeks after the 2022 Commander was unveiled for South America, Jeep premiered the facelifted Grand Commander for China during the 2021 Chengdu Auto Show. As a reminder, the Grand Commander was revealed in 2018 as a 7-seater SUV exclusively available in the Chinese market, with a plug-in hybrid version following in 2019. While the models are still relatively young, Jeep decided it was time for a refresh.
Despite the common name and the similarities, the two 7-seater SUVs are not mechanically related. The South American Commande is sharing the Small Wide platform with the Compass, while the Chinese Grand Commander is sharing the Compact Wide platform with the Cherokee, and is thus longer, wider and taller.
The most visible change in the updated Grand Commander can be found in the front where the headlights have grown larger and are now fully merging with Jeep’s seven-slot grille. Also new is the redesigned bumper featuring more complex intakes. The profile looks identical besides the new design for the wheels. However, the new bumpers have slightly increased the length to 4,895 mm.
At the back, the taillights are now extended towards the center with LED graphics similar to those of the US-market Grand Wagoneer. There is also Grand Commander lettering under the chrome bar and a slightly different rear bumper with the decorative exhaust pipes mounted higher than before. Jeep designers didn’t mess with the interior, which retains the centrally mounted infotainment touchscreen and the three-row, seven-seat layout.
The updated version of the Grand Commander is available with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine producing 231 hp in the FWD guise or 262 hp in the AWD variant. Chinese buyers can also opt for the PHEV which comes with the same 2.0-liter engine plus two electric motors and a 13 kWh battery allowing a combined range of 900 km. All versions come standard with a nine-speed automatic gearbox.
Pricing ranges from 239,800 yuan (US$ 37,113) to 329,800 (US$ 51,044) for the ICE-powered Grand Commander, and starts from 309,800 yuan (US$ 47,949) for the Grand Commander PHEV. Just like its predecessor, we don’t expect the Jeep Grand Commander to be sold outside China.
