I have a lot of time for seven-seat cars and even seven-seat SUVs, because at least they are trying to be functional. The Commander is a vast vehicle that is very capable but in an Irish context it is a bit OTT! On the school run the Commander shouts 'Who’s the daddy?' as it dwarfs BMW X5s and Volvo XC90s.
Giving the 2,700kg Land Rover Discovery a run for its money in terms of bulk and seating capacity, the 2,400kg Jeep manages to be even less subtle on the outside. Inspired by classic Jeeps of old, the Commander is just 5cm longer than the Grand Cherokee but, remarkably, is the first seven-seater from the iconic American brand.
The trademark Jeep grille and slab-sided look gives the car serious road presence. In this day and age that can be a good and bad thing. The kid inside me thinks it's cool to have a full-sized ‘Tonka toy’ to play with, but it's a guilty pleasure. So clearly the €65,995 Commander is pretty good at drawing attention to itself but sadly drivers will have to forget about getting on the Greenpeace Christmas card list.
Inside, the Jeep is still a generation behind the best of Europe in terms of ergonomics and fit and finish. But strangely, for such a macho machine, the dated interior kind of works. The seating is good for kids but adults will find it a little cramped from the second row back. With all seven seats in place the boot all but vanishes. The rear two seats are functional and pop into place effortlessly with the simple pull of a strap.
Behind the wheel the driving position could be better. For such a vast car it feels like you're in an Audi TT, as the windscreen is tiny and quite a distance away from you. The steering only adjusts for tilt and there is a fair bit of gearbox intrusion into the footwell so my left foot doesn’t have a comfortable resting place. The automatic gearbox has a low ratio switch for real off-roading, and a neutral setting too so four-wheel drive purists will be happy.
The commander in a straight line is interesting and refined enough but on twisty roads I would feel reluctant to hustle the beast along.
Power comes from a six-cylinder 3-litre CRD diesel engine (218bhp/510nm) from the Daimler/Chrysler family. It's rapid enough for its size but ultimately pretty thirsty, returning an average of just 26.2mpg. There is a petrol version that uses a 5.7-litre V8 that pushes out 330bhp. Like a drag racer's dream, it delivers a GTi-like 7.5 second 0-100km/h time, but you’d have to own a filling station to run it!
The Commander will be a niche seller and there in lies its appeal. It will be a rare enough sighting but will find a few Irish buyers who want the rugged image.
If I lived in Iceland and needed to do the school run every day I’d have a Commander!
Michael Sheridan
