(continued)
Engineering
Jeep vehicles are engineered to scale obstacles that leave less capable vehicles
bent and broken. Jeep Commander is no exception. It has the same underpinnings
that have proven highly successful on the current Jeep Grand Cherokee,
including:
- Three, full-time, four-wheel-drive systems, Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II
and Quadra-Drive II
- Two transfer cases offering Brake Traction Control System (BTCS) and
Electronic Limited Slip Differentials (ELSD)
- Three available engines: The 3.7-liter SOHC V-6, the 4.7-liter SOHC V-8
and the incomparable 5.7-liter HEMI V-8. For the first time, a two-speed
transfer case is available with the 3.7-liter engine, and two-wheel-drive
capability is optional on the 5.7-liter V-8 engine. (Both options will be
offered on the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee as well.)
- Two five-speed automatic transmissions
- Standard independent front suspension, along with rack and pinion steering
Design
Commander’s all-new design was inspired by three legendary Jeep vehicles.
The Willys-Overland (1946 to 1962) was the tallest of the three, at slightly
under 73 inches. The Willys-Overland was the auto industry’s first all-steel
station wagon. It was equipped with only two doors, but a fold-down rear hatch
made loading easy. Seven-passenger capacity was achieved with a single,
inboard-facing seat behind the second row of seats.
The Wagoneer (1963 to 1991) has often been called the first true sport-utility
vehicle. It was lower and longer than the Willys-Overland wagon, but, like its
predecessor, employed round headlamps. One difference was the Wagoneer’s
trapezoidal wheel openings, now a signature feature of Jeep design. A brawny
4,000 pounder, the Wagoneer was by no means aerodynamic. Still, it was less boxy
than the Wagon; the windshield and rear were not as stiff. The four-door
Wagoneer outsold the two-door model by wide margins.
In terms of a family resemblance, the Jeep Commander is closest to the Jeep
Cherokee (1984 to 2001). The latter was 21 inches shorter, 6 inches narrower, 4
inches lower and weighed 1,000 pounds less than the first Jeep Wagoneer. The
Cherokee was considered a breakthrough: It was the first UniFrame four-door
compact SUV and a true car-like alternative. Additionally, it was the only
compact sport utility to offer two-door and four-door models. It received rave
reviews when introduced and went on to win “4x4 of the Year” from three
magazines in 1984.
Commander retains important ingredients from all three vehicles, both in
execution and in spirit. The result is a sport-utility vehicle with a
mechanical, purpose-built appearance – rugged and unmistakably Jeep. Commander
takes classic Jeep design elements – flat surfaces, upright stance, round
headlamps, trapezoidal wheel openings and slotted grille – and gives them a 21st
century interpretation.
Safety and Security
The 2006 Jeep Commander includes the highest levels of safety and security
technology and features ever offered on a Chrysler Group vehicle. Standard
features include side-curtain air bags with a roll detection system that deploys
air bags in certain rollover and side-impact situations, ESP, Electronic Roll
Mitigation (ERM), tire pressure monitor and Brake Assist.
Additionally, advanced multi-stage frontal air bags with an Occupant
Classification System for the front passenger are standard on Commander. This
system classifies the severity of an impact event and uses additional sensor
information to further modify front-passenger air bag output based on occupant
size and weight. The resulting deployment could be low, medium or high output,
or - in certain instances - none at all.
State-of-the-art energy-management features in the body structure and chassis
work in conjunction with air bag and seat belt systems. Front seat belts are
equipped with belt pretensioners and digressive load-limiting retractors.
Pretensioners tighten the seat belt to help keep the occupant in place while
digressive load-limiting retractors balance the load on the upper body, reducing
injuries from seat belt forces. Head restraints are standard in all outboard
seating positions.
Both the driver and passenger seat belts in the Commander are also equipped with
BeltAlert, an enhanced seat belt reminder system that periodically activates a
chime and illuminates a light in the instrument cluster to remind the driver and
all passengers to buckle up.
Whether you’re in traffic or out on the trail, the available SmartBeam headlamp
system adjusts to ambient light and oncoming traffic to deliver maximum lighting
no matter what the conditions.
Brake Assist is also standard. Using ESP, Brake Assist uses an active brake
booster to increase brake output when the vehicle senses a panic braking
condition. This allows for maximum braking power, providing the shortest
possible stopping distance.
Technology
A number of technologies help make the Jeep Commander experience more enjoyable
for driver and passengers.
The UConnect hands-free communications system uses Bluetooth technology to
provide wireless communication between the customer’s compatible cellular
telephone and the vehicle’s on-board receiver. Bluetooth is a short-range
wireless networking technology that is used to connect two or more devices
together.
A navigation system with MP3 player utilizes voice and on-screen directions to
guide the user through the drive route, mile-by-mile and turn-by-turn, until the
final destination is reached. Housed in the dashboard, the navigation system
consists of a large 5.8-inch, full-color display that features an AM/FM stereo,
six-disc CD changer, MP3 player and navigation system in one unit. A joystick
allows the user to scroll through the navigation menus and icons quickly and
effortlessly.
SIRIUS satellite radio provides Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep customers with 100
streams of the best commercial-free music, information, sports, news and
entertainment coast-to-coast, 24 hours a day.
Customers can scan channels or select pre-set buttons for favorite channels.
Selections can also be made both by music category and channel, which are
displayed on the radio screen.
For rear-seat passenger enjoyment, Jeep Commander has an available DVD
entertainment system. It consists of a center-console-mounted DVD player,
overhead LCD monitor, wireless remote control and two wireless headsets. In
addition to video DVDs, the system will play audio DVDs, audio CDs, MP3 audio
discs and video CDs. There are also plug-in jacks on the housing to show video
from a video camera, connect video games for display on the screen and play
music directly from an MP3 player.
A unique feature of the DVD entertainment system is that the vehicle speakers
can play audio from a disc in the DVD player while the headphones play audio
from the SIRIUS satellite radio, AM/FM radio, or a disc in the radio CD player.
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