Jeep Grand Commander enjoys some nip-and-tuck in China

Jeep has unveiled the facelifted Grand Commander SUV at the recently concluded Chengdu Auto Show, announcing that now all Commander vehicles – not just seven-seat ones – will be called ‘Grand Commander’.

The China-only utility vehicle uses an elongated Cherokee chassis with 2.8 meters of inter-axle spacing, a transversely mounted engine, and a front-wheel drive system by default. It came out three years ago and never became popular on its home market of China, so a mid-life refresh could bolster its popularity.

In reality, however, the scope of changes is just too small. There are new bumpers, redesigned headlights, a reshaped radiator grille, and a LED strip connecting the taillights – but that’s about it. The newcomer is marginally longer at 4,895 mm instead of 4,873 mm. The cabin stays stock with a small infotainment touchscreen, analog gauges, and only barely retouched infotainment UI and trim accents.

The powertrains also have no surprises to make. A two-liter four-cylinder turbo toils in tandem with a ZF nine-speed automatic for 234 PS (231 hp / 172 kW) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) in its FWD implementation and 265 PS (261 hp / 195 kW) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) in the AWD version.

There is also a plug-in hybrid variant powered by the same IC engine dialed slightly down to 230 PS (227 hp / 169 kW) and 311 Nm (229 lb-ft) of torque, which partners up with an electric motor rated at 121 PS (119 hp / 89 kW) and 315 Nm (232 lb-ft). A motor-generator and an electromechanical CVT deliver the momentum to the front axle in this setup, while a 13-kWh battery provides it with 70 km (43.5 miles) of all-electric driving range.