Good, I hope they move the Commander to the Durango's platform. The WK platform is just too small IMHO to support a true 7-seater vehicle, much less be a real tow rig that I know many people were hoping for before the Commander came out. The Jeep brand needs a big SUV to compete with the likes of the Tahoe, Expedition, Armada, and Toyota Sequoya. Jeep needs a tow rig, and I know lots of Jeepers would love to have a Jeep branded tow vehicle for the trail Jeeps.

This sort of rumor surfaces every time there is a change in the Grand Cherokee.

This one doesn't even make sense... the Durango is closer to the size of the GL not the M.

What you are likely to see is that new architectures be developed for the Durango/Aspen and the Commander will move to this architecture (THIS is the rumor insiders at DCX are saying versus UAW/JD Power thinking the Commander is completely going away). The Grand Cherokee will probably move to a different architecture (whether this is based on the M class or not).

That said, architectures do not define a vehicles off-road capability. The Durango may not be an off-roader but its underlying architecture is very rugged and supports a solid rear axle. That is what is needed. Suspension setups and length of the actual underlying architecture can be modified to meet Jeep's needs. Rumors from DCX insiders state that the next generation Commander will ride on a slightly shortened version of the Durango architecture.

This worries me. I think Jeep will further lose its identity as a brand of tough off road vehicles. The M Class and Durango are certainly not off road vehicles.