The suspension,engine,transmission,transfer case, ride height(thM class is a little lower. and sheet metal are different between Jeep and MB. i do not know if the M- class jas a live rear axle. i know the last one was independent all arround. but i think that it works in the oppposite direction. why would you want to buy a M-class when you could get what is essentially the same vehicle for 20G less?

Also, the new G-wagon will be based on the same platform as
the upcoming Alabama-built M-class and R-class.

I just noticed that the steering wheel medallion and shifter are straight out of the Gladiator concept.

http://www.jeepin.com/news/gladiator/gladiator02.jpg

http://www.jeepin.com/news/commander/0859611j2006_014.jpg

Actually the "new" Isuzu i280 and i350 pickup line is SOURCED from Isuzu..not the other way around. Isuzu has been selling these trucks since 2002.
GM teamed with Isuzu to JOINTLY develop the platform..GM contributing some design ideas..and technical support; but with ISUZU having control of the final design and production..

In this case ISUZU came First..not GM.

Sharing platforms is a good way to save some money, but it really takes away the uniqueness of Jeep. Do the Mercedes versions offer Quadradrive and a 4.7/5.7 also? How can you drive a Jeep when you know that the ritzy Mercedes that you just drove by has the same underpinnings? Share all you want with Dodge and Chrysler, but Jeep?.. its more than just the "do anything, go anywhere" style that makes a Jeep unique.

Speaking of GM platforms, did anyone see the Isuzu pickup based on the Colorado? It is indistinguishable from a Colorado, only upon closer inspection that you notice it says "Isuzu" right where the bow-tie should be... It took me 3 glances at the picture to realize that it wasnt a Chevy Colorado that they were showing. Has Isuzu been reduced (I say upgraded) to manufacturing plastic badges to stick on GM trucks when they roll out of the plant? Rediculous... thats all I have to say.

Well you are right. I just got too emotionally invested in waiting for this vehicle and to see it and have it disappoint me so badly really got my hackles up. I need therapy. I think I'll go drive the wife's '03 Renny around the block and hope no one sees me in it.

I am sure Jeep will dramatically redesign the exterior in 07 or 08. Remeber the first three Years of the Liberty with the grill only a chick could love. Now they have that fixed (the new renny looks awesome). I guess it just takes Jeep a few years and slack sales to figure out taht they are not going to tell buyers what they want.

I imagine the Liberty less has pushed them to the other extreme, lets make the vehicle as unattractive as possible then it will be manly.

those people who keep calling it the Canyonero on other forums make me laugh. it does resemble it a lot. http://www.loudthinking.com/lt-files/canyonero.jpg

Rubicon trail has a point... Im going to have my Commander in the garage right next to my TK. My love of Jeep grew from growing up in New England living in similar conditions, and I pride in the fact that I own and love such a brand as Jeep. I stand behind their decisions. The Commander offers a more than the Grand Cherokee- wrapped up in a classic Jeep package. I love the looks, I love the functional style, and I absolutely love everything the Jeep stands for.

Hey Rubican; you're in denial. That's the next emotion after anger (yesterday). Tomorrow, you'll be in acceptance that this Jeep MAY crawl through snow, so long as they're not still sitting on the lot at INVOICE prices.
(I can see the inventory reduction commercials already....)

Jeep nut wrote:
"They bash anything new. Those who never change adapt or die!!!!"
The word HYPO
ITE comes to mind here. Jeep ran this design for 17 YEARS and frankly The design is exhausted in popularity. Further, if they are going to "look back" to a retro style, PLEASE look back a little further then 5 years. Indeed, adapt or Die.
Look, the only reason it started out boxy in 1984 is because the sheet metal tooling back in the 80's simply couldn't give a round, sculptured look of today at the production rates necessary. Hence, the whole era was boxy pretty much cuz the same companies supply all of Detroit. Fast forward to 2005; the technology IS HERE NOW to create sculptured, aesthetically pleasing design. WHY be sculptured you say?? Because all of their competition IS (and lets face it, they need to sell more Jeeps). BTW, did they HAVE TO use the same freaking grill as the 1984 Cherokee?? UGLY! (I thought it was ugly back in 84' too!)
Even more... Jeep, like every company in the '00s, needs to figure out who they are marketing TO. Fact is, the GC is a soccer mom mobile and it was smart to market toward them (Including getting rid of the solid axle). But why market a THREE ROW JEEP (read FAMILY vehicle) as Jeep rugged, rather then Jeep Modern??? Three rows of seats in a Trail rated vehicle; is it necessary?? Geez, I HOPE the majority of parents won't take all 5 kids for a joy ride through some boulder stoked mountain pass.
Jeep screwed up the Marketing of the Commander, end of discussion. They don't even know who they're marketing to. This Jeep is marketing nothing to nobody. It's not a rock climber, not a commuter, not a grocery getter. Instead of naming it “Commander”, it should have been named “El Camino”.

The heck with all of it, if gas prices continue at this rate I'm getting either a Diesel Beetle or a trek Bike.

CANYONERRRROOOOOOO!!!!! HEEE YAHHH! (WHIP NOISE)

F minus minus

Heinous! If you can believe it my wife and I held off buying something new this fall hoping it would look something like the 2000 Commander concept.

The new Commander is a butchered concept-
It fails at having a "retro-Jeep" aesthetic and instead just looks like a dated "wannabe'.

Have you ever seen I car that you would refuse to own or test drive because it looks so bad? Well I have found one in the new Commander, and I have been a loyal Jeep buyer for years.

I have been waiting for this vehicle for so long and at actual personal expense, consider this: DCX forced loyal Jeep buyers to miss the glory days of the big SUV tax deduction because there was no "fullsized" model in the line-up and then they roll this monstrosity out: I WANT AN APOLOGY! DO YOU HEAR ME DEITER AND DONALD RENKERT?


This SUV actually saddens me.
It's a giant mish-moshed "cr*p-box" of the new Grand Cherokee frame stretched and mutilated. What is Diamler-Chrysler thinking?

I'll take my rant even a step further, I think this vehicle hurts the Jeep's "brand image."

It looks just like those cheap Chinese Cherokees they are selling in Asia.

*Throws up hands in a fit of dispair!*

SAY IT AIN'T SO JEEP! SAY IT AIN'T SO!
You Should read the reaction its getting on the car and driver forums (Tough Guys section AKA SUVs and trucks)

I am pretty sure that if the new diesel did make it here to the states it will not be until after 2006, when Jeep would be able to make it available to consumers in more states.

The more I look, the more I like. How 'bout a diesel option for those of us outside California, Vermont, NY etc?

I think that all the num nut bashers on this site must have fallen and hit thier heads on their toilet bowls!!
They bash anything new. Those who never change or adapt die!!!!
The xj was a very popular jeep... I use to sell jeeps I know. When the liberty came out alot of xjer's comming off of lease were very unhappy... I think this jeep will fill that gap. Just would have been better if jeep would have came out with this two years ago when alot of xjers leases were up.. They probably would have gone into this.. But then again the xjer's that got stuck into the liberty lease.... Those leases are actually comming up this year and next soooo.. They may actually want this new commander.. I think Jeep will actually sell more than the 70,000 projected.. When I was selling jeeps.. We would lose customers to the exploder all the time due to us not having a third row seat.. Time will only tell..But I will say this.. When you look at the commander.. You know right away.... It's a jeep. And brand identity is key in a market where vehicles are starting to look alike....
One other note.. Someone awhile back had mentioned how the same designers are working on multiple platforms. This explains the dodge nitro having the box look of the xj,now commander type look to it.. notice how the shifter on the commander is the same shifter used in the dodge nitro concept..

mattp, the ONLY part of a 2005 Grand Cherokee that looks like the original Commander concept are the sides, that is it. The front and back are totally different, which is too bad as they really screwed things up.

The MB M-Class is based on the GC platform as is the commander and if the G-Wagen is based of of the M-class that means that there is 4 SUVs based on the same design. but unlike GM all of these SUVs look different.

Are you ready to lay your money down that the Commander won't sell 70,000 in it's first model year?

GUYS, GUYS, GUYS.... this is a NEW vehicle, not replacing anything. It is in ADDITION to the current lineup. I.e., they plan on pulling market share from some other SUV manufacturer (hopefully not there own) and selling 70K more additional jeeps then currently. The competition for the Commander is the Durango, Explorer, Envoy, etc. THESE are the vehicles that they must compete against, NOT a model year change on an existing GC, Liberty or Wrangler. If they plan on selling 70,000 ADDITIOANL Jeeps, they need to have their heads and hearts into competing with the existing 3 row seat, aesthetically pleasing SUV Market. Once again, this is a marketing nightmare.

And come on guys… we drove two wheeled drive cars on dirt roads and deep snow for freaking years and years before 1984. The ”trail rated” thing is Jeep MARKETING at its best! You telling me the Hummer is NOT "trail rated"?? My ’74 Mercury land bard went through snow and mud awesome, with 500 lbs of sand in the trunk but it wasn’t “trail rated”. People are not buying these vehicles because they NEED one and D-C knows that. It’s a status thing, no question about it. They market to the consumers emotions and it’s pretty clear that emotions are high considering this is a Jeep enthusiast website and 2/3 of the posts are “I hate it, but I’ll buy it cuz I LUV Jeeps” How is Jeep going to convince an additional 70,000 NEW customers to buy a Jeep with 1984 era styling and fierce competition from the other SUV manufacturers?

Not gonna happen...

7200lbs. of towing capacity when equipped with the HEMI engine and 4WD. That is a few hundred more than what the Exploder can do with it's best engine.

This goes back to what I have said before about platforms and DCX...

Daimler is great about squeezing every last dollar out of the engineering costs of a platform.

For example, the Chrysler Crossfire is really the last generation SLK and SLK Roadster. Fresh Chrysler sheetmetal to boost sales for the last-gen SLK, redesigned next-gen SLK with superior performance for Mercedes.

Example #2...Dodge Nitro-Fresh sheetmetal for the Liberty to boost sales, next generation Liberty (or it's replacement) due in 07/08. Liberty dissappears from the Jeep lineup, the Nitro continues the previous generation platform to recover engineering costs, while Jeep gets a Liberty replacement that is more 'Jeep'.

It doesnt matter if the Commander sells 70,000 units, 90,000 units or 150,000 units, because the PLATFROM will sell more than any one unit.

Remember, the Commander is based on the GC platform. The next G-vagen will also be based on the Commander platform, which is based on the GC platform...

GC+Commander+G-vagen =250,000(?)units worldwide based on ONE platform...

That's alot better than one platform each for the WJ selling, say 70,000 units, the XJ selling, say 60,000 units and the TJ selling, say 50,000 units for THREE platforms.

With the GC/Commander/G=Vagen, DCX still has TWO more platforms to exploit.

i just went to the ny auto show and sat in the commader. it looks alot better in person and is very rooomy. It seems like a cherokee front and liberty body but pretty cool and i thnk will sel good.

here is my comment

How come jeep didn't just baldly copy it...with a little more headroom...oh, then they would have had themselves a G500--heaven forbid anyone actually make an offroad utility vehicle i can afford and get as much off-road work out of as i got out of the fj55.

Hmm, considering that we're welcomed to post
whatever opinion we have, constant belly-aching over
the same issue is a potential by-product. If most people
b!t(# about the same things, fine. We'll have to deal.

But some of these arguments/comments...

The highly successful XJ was purchased by buyers
who probably would never want a Wrangler (read:
something that looks/says "JEEP"). I mean, really, of
the three vehicles offered at the time, the Wrangler was
the only one that visually exemplified Jeep. Because
the GC sure didn't say "Jeep" any louder than the XJ
did. That '06 Mustang... nobody has to tell you it's a
Ford Mustang. But does that mean that any other Ford
has to 'look' like a Ford? The Commander definitely
'looks' like a Jeep to me, because it looks a lot like the
XJ. It may not fit your/our tastes, but it wasn't made for
us. I know I'm not going to buy one. It's a Jeep with a
third row of seats for crying out loud!! Do you think that
third row is for extra campers on a trip to the trail or for
room for passengers on the way to whatever anyone
wants to do in the city?

Let's be real about this. The Commander is likely to
sell. Very likely. Critics -us included- may bash it
because it isn't what we were hoping for, but families
who wanted that 3rd row of seats aren't going to bash it.
And as for knocking the boxy style... c'mon. Are you
really paying attention to what's on the road? Every
single Land Mower vehicle is essentiially box styled.
And so are a host of other SUVs. And just so we're
clear on this issue, I'll have to assume that if you hate
the box style of the Commander the you must've hated
the box style of a Rescue and loved the soft, cutesy
styling of that Liberty that you drive. On the trails no
less. I'm not too hot on the Commanders looks either,
but it's not because it's a box. You want something
rounded and smooth buy a VW Beetle.

Jeep Nutts:
You missed the most important part of my rant:

-"The XJ was a great 'ute but it was no beauty prize winnner, in fact its styling was one of its weakest selling points, so why copy the failing part of a good vehicle?"-

I owned two XJ's so you are preaching to the quior about the quality of them, I owned an 86 2.8l V6 (underpowered as it was) laredo and a 1992 Limited 4.0, I loved them as Jeeps BUT THEY WERE UGLY COMPANRED TO THE REST OF THE MARKET! AGAIN I REITERATE:
THE STYLING OF THE ORIGINAL CHEROKEE WAS ITS WEAKEST POINT, WHY COPY THE WEAKEST POINT OF ANY VEHICLE.

Heritage styling my butt, its slack and was unaattractive then and is unattractive now.

i agree with what Rubicon said. about people needing a trail rated jeep. I live on a dirt road that hasn' been graded since october. it is The las to get plowed too. My road is the only dirt road in my town and gets neglected by my town. when the potholes get to be 3'arround and 6" deep needless to say that my road is one BIG crater. the offroad system and 4X4 capability are almost mandatory to get down my road in the good weather. I was the first to get a jeep on my road and now three others got jeeps too because mine is holding up so well. Oh yea did I mention that I live in central NJ.

No, I am not in denial. I am in anticipation... for the purchase of either a WK or XK as soon as my new house is completed.

Will I use either for off-roading? Not in the immediate future, because I might as well use the Cherokee which already has rock-inflicted battle scars for that.

I hardly think the design of the Cherokee was exhausted. I have gotten purchase offers from the dealership that services my XJ because they know they can sell it for well above Blue Book the same day. If my memory serves me right, the Cherokee sold more units in the 2001 model year than any of the previous years.

Why need a Trail-Rated seven passenger vehicle?Because not every family with 3 - 5 kids lives on a nice paved road in downtown. Many Americans live on dirt roads that are not serviced regularly, or in Northern climates where a foot+ of snow can blanket an area overnight. No, I am not talking about Northern MN here, even in more populated areas of Northeastern states like NY this is true. My love of Jeep came out of growing up in bitter NY winters, and seeing how that my dad's CJ's and Cherokees could crawl through the snow while snow plow trucks got stranded.

Why do they need to use the seven slot grille? Because it easily signifys a vehicle as Jeep (or also a Hummer because of their same lineage).

If you do not need a seven-passenger vehicle, that's fine. If you don't need Trail-Rated capability, that's fine. If you don't like the Jeep grille, that's fine. THEN DON'T BUY ONE.

here is my comment:

Who would ever put a 3.7l in this vehicle. Additionally it does not come up to the towing capacity of the vehicles it is attempting to compete with.

I am a fan of the Cherokee, Jeep lost me when the replaced it with the chick mobile otherwise known as the liberty.
I feel Jeep has been trying to win back the people who loved Cherokee and hated Liberty
first with the Unlimited (too expensive for farm equipment powered convertible) and now this giant knockoff.
Part of the reason I love my cherokee is because of its size, & off road handling. I'm not intersted in these days of 2.10 a gallon gas
in plunking down 30 grand for a bloated imatation. Sadly I think this things gonna bomb.
Hopefully they don't screw up the next Wrangler.

I agree...the commander concept is the 2005 grand cherokee. Those whoe don;t realizes that have not even compared the two...The only difference is the grill and headlamps. If you don't like the commander then buy the four door wrangler it will be even more boxy and square like the rescue/gladiator concpts.

here is my comment

Dodge is working on a Hybrid system for the Cummins Diesel engine.

I agree, Hybrid is the way to go for JEEP...

A hybrid-based transmission is nothing new, I saw one at least 5 years ago on the net, but Daimler and GM are going to make this a practical application.

It doesn't really matter to me...My idea of the Ultimate Off-Roader is actually the JEEP Treo...believe it or not, just lose the UGLY body...

But seriously, a Stirling Engine genset, providing constant electrical power to a high-capacity battery pack, powering a high torque electric motor mounted to each spindle of each wheel, which can provide propulsion as well as regenerative braking to recapture kinetic energy lost from braking...

It's an environmental no brainer.
Not to mention, it would provide better on and off road handling, as 60-70% of the vehicle weight would be under the floor line, and the ultra-low torque of the motors would allow creeping at speeds as low as 1.0 rpm (theoretically).

Lastly, a Stirling Engine genset would be able to run on multiple fuels---Gasoline, alcohol, gasahol propane, methane, hydrogen, HnG (hydrogen-natural gas mixture), diesel, biodiesel, and even coal dust (which the United states has a 1,000 year supply).

Mabye Jeep will yank all of the fuel cell-crap out of the Commander Concept and put in a Stirling engine genset for the Commander3 concept.

Sharp looking, except for the area outboard of the headlights, the shoulder of the front fender should have been brought all the way forward for a cleaner look.

If I needed a 7-passanger vehicle I would consider getting one.

Hey "Jeepster" and "Rescue Jeep" if you hate like the Commander so much THEN DON'T FREAKING BUY ONE!!!!!

Jeepster if you want something that looks like the 2000 Commander concept then maybe you should hold a picture of it up next to an 05 Grand.

Rescue Jeep if you are wondering where the "great looking raked rear from the 05 Grand Cherokee" is, I think it is on the 05 Grand Cherokee. If you are wondering where the sleek lines of the 2000 Commander concept are please refer to the above paragraph.

The Original Cherokee was one of the most popular Jeep models ever produced. It had a big part in creating what is today considered to be Jeep's brand image and I think that there are a lot of Cherokee fans out there that have been wishing for a replacement for there boxy little Jeep every since it was replaced with the Liberty.

Hey "Jeepster" and "Rescue Jeep" if you hate like the Commander so much THEN DON'T FREAKING BUY ONE!!!!!

Jeepster if you want something that looks like the 2000 Commander concept then maybe you should hold a picture of it up next to an 05 Grand.

Rescue Jeep if you are wondering where the "great looking raked rear from the 05 Grand Cherokee" is, I think it is on the 05 Grand Cherokee. If you are wondering where the sleek lines of the 2000 Cambered concept are please refer to the above paragraph.

The Original Cherokee was one of the most popular Jeep models ever produced. It had a big part in creating what is today considered to be Jeep's brand image and I think that there are a lot of Cherokee fans out there that have been wishing for a replacement for there boxy little Jeep every since it was replaced with the Liberty.

Yea they through us a bone with token parts from a great Jeep concept. To bad they are wasted on this peice of s***.

This thing wont sell 70k units and will make Jeep look bad.

Where is that great looking raked rear from the 05 GC? Where are the sleek lines of the original Commander concept. Is this supposed to be toungue in cheek? Cause its a horrible attempt at "retro" from the XJ aesthetic which was kind of un-jeep to begin with (square lights, squared hood, no curves) compare an XJ with a Grand Wagoneer, a J10/20, a kaiser commando, a willys' designed anything. They had curves, raked rears, and round head lights. The XJ was a great 'ute but it was no beauty prize winnner, in fact its styling was one of its weakest selling points, so why copy the failing part of a good vehicle? The only thing "Jeep" about this is the seven slotted grill and Jeep failed to stop DUMMER from stealing that.

Uncool, unjeep, -paved, very much NOT A JEEP THING THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND, and lastly NOT EVER IN THIS JEEP.

DCX and GM have been working on a next-generation hybrid system that is integrated into the transmission. This is more efficient than the current Toyota \ Lexus or Honda systems. Of course with GM's financial problems, DCX might end up footing the bill on any of the remaining development costs.

I personally am liking this design more every time I look at it. Give it a chance, it'll grow on you.

I'm not sure why everyone has a woody for Diesels on this board. I sure as heck like the milage aspect and I think it would really improve sales in the short run, but the future is in hybrids.

Now I'm not a Lexus fan, but they're planning on rolling out a hybrid SUV with 1500 lbs of torque on startup. No, 1500 is not a typo. You're probably wondering how the hell this is possible - its because electric motors make almost all of their torque available at start up. Oh yea, it will also get 32/36 MPG. Not half bad. Introduce a system like that in a Jeep and the thing would sell like hotcakes.

DC needs to get on this boat as soon as possible. With gas prices rising and George seemingly powerless to stop it, gas milage is going to become a MAJOR concern for car buyers. As much as I love my Wrangler, it would be hard to drive it daily at $4/gallon.

An item that's missing: the Dynamic Handling System. C'mon, a skid-pad rating of .72 is not good enough for the way some of us drive.

I do think that the Wrangler will look quite similar to the front half of the Gladiator. Of course, the debut of it's design is probably about a year away (I think they will debut the design at next years NY Auto Show) so who knows.

I was wrong...I like it...don't love it, but I like it. Now I just hope that the new wrangler is more Gladiator based than Rescue based. I love the Rescue but the grill and lights are too art deco and not round enough for a Wrangler, unless maybe you loved the YJ. Thanks Mike for all the Jeep News.