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Report: Chrysler likely to discontinue Jeep Commander

01/22/2007, 12:06 PM

By admin

Chrysler will probably stop building its Jeep Commander SUV after the 2009 model year, according to UAW and supplier sources cited by the Detroit News. Launched in 2006, the Commander was met with poor reviews and weak sales.

Jeep sold 88,000 Commanders in 2006 thanks to heavy discounts, averaging between $6,000 and $8,000. Analysts suspect the Commander mostly cannibalized sales of the slightly smaller Grand Cherokee, rather than bringing in new customers. The company sold 139,000 Grand Cherokees last year, down 75,000 from the previous year.

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01/22, 12:09 PM

posted by:

Random Jerk

How did anyone ever this this was a good idea? Perhaps the same people that green lighted the Compass?

01/22, 12:14 PM

posted by:

hockeygod1331

agreed..stupid move in the first place

01/22, 12:16 PM

posted by:

Renton

agreed… this is one ugly machine. Compass as well.

Hopefully they will build the TrailHawk.

01/22, 12:28 PM

posted by:

wenzor

Commander..the bigger and boxier jeep Cherokee!

01/22, 12:30 PM

posted by:

MINIyegor

Good news! There is a lot more to discontinue and not only at Chrysler. Do you read this GM and Ford?

01/22, 12:31 PM

posted by:

mujician

I think Chrysler as a whole needs to work on what they already have, fix the problem rather than introduce all these differant ideas to the market without looking at quality issues and were the market is actually heading.

01/22, 12:32 PM

posted by:

golf4me

R.I.P.

01/22, 12:41 PM

posted by:

Jazz

For being bigger on the exterior, the interior felt only slightly bigger.

01/22, 12:44 PM

posted by:

wenge

I don’t like the Commander but I find this funny. I thought it was more or less a hit because I see Commanders EVERYWHERE. I’m amazed they would kill it BEFORE the Compass, of which I’ve only see two (thank god).

01/22, 12:46 PM

posted by:

GMnumberone4ever

Chrysler probably realized they were getting their asses handed to them by the new GMT900’s. What else would you expect Chrysler to do when they don’t have the skills to compete? I think we are going to see a trend towards eventual Jeep destruction. The Revolution is just too powerful.

01/22, 12:48 PM

posted by:

Gmnumbertwo2soon

Wow. This was a nice truck too; MUCH nicer than that ugly Grand Cherokee.

Take a lesson from GM, badge-engineer everytime you get the chance! It’s kind of like screwing your sister. That’s the GM way.

01/22, 1:01 PM

posted by:

GARY

Good-bye Commander. Chrysler Aspen…..you’re next.

01/22, 1:03 PM

posted by:

wetstuff

These Walmart customers are going to have to go over to GM for their discounted SUVs. (07’s at the GMC dealer on the corner look somewhat like this) MSRP $50k …sell $42k ..trade in value one hour later: $32k. Great way to run a business..
.
….and GM still has 05’s available in case you can’t resist a reallllllly good deal.

01/22, 1:15 PM

posted by:

Zanary

Ding-dong, the eyesore’s dead!

Sorry, but that thing made the ol’ Grand Wagoneers look positively sleek and modern in comparison.

01/22, 1:24 PM

posted by:

Elvio

LOL…I knew it’s a non-sense car.

01/22, 1:29 PM

posted by:

Bush

Why bother waiting until 2009… kill it now.

01/22, 1:29 PM

posted by:

Kenny W

I know I’m in the minority but I actually liked the Commander. I’ve never driven one or ridden in one, so I can’t comment on that aspect, however from a purely exterior POV I really like it. Why they couldn’t kill the Compass instead or the Aspen or the Caliber or the Nitro or any one of their other POS’s I don’t know :( .

01/22, 1:30 PM

posted by:

Elvio

Also….please add the Compass and Aspen onto the list please…

01/22, 1:32 PM

posted by:

toyotamr2

good riddance!

01/22, 1:56 PM

posted by:

roadmaster96

Kill the Commander, aspen and nitro and limit the production of all trucks and SUVs to get rid of excess stock, cut incentives and free up R&D money for RWD sedans, coupes and FWD/AWD crossovers.

01/22, 1:58 PM

posted by:

roadmaster96

Limit or kill the Durango also. The full size SUV market has and will always be around, but the midsized segment is a death’s door.

01/22, 2:00 PM

posted by:

LamborghiniZ

About time, this was a lumbering, old school behemouth that really isn’t appealing to too many people these days

01/22, 2:05 PM

posted by:

Fatstrat

I know its just anecdotal, but I too seem to see lots of these on the road.
I am also starting to see lots of the new 4dr Wranglers. Wonder why the Wrangler has never had a diesel in it?

01/22, 2:13 PM

posted by:

bb_454

Has anyone in here ever driven one? Their not too bad, but I would rather have the GC if I was buying a Jeep. And the third row is terrible! If you ever try to look out the rear window with it up you would know exactly what I mean. Im on board with the killing of the Aspen and the Compass. Just way too many SUV’s, Trucks and cross overs. For a while I was thinking Jeep was going to have 7 vehicles in their line up, thats a lot of SUVs for just one brand. And while where on DCX, please redo the Caliber and Sebring.

01/22, 2:15 PM

posted by:

A4

the durango is quality..
the commander sucks
so does the compass
stop all this crap you dont know jeep.
Bring back a cherokee
not something reminiscent of the cherokee
obviously you know everyone wants a cherokee, touting the commander and patriot as having “styling reminiscent of the legendary cherokee” yet neither of those vehicles are a cherokee. Ones too small, and is a caliber at heart… the other is too big, and bulky, and neither are rugged or off-road capable by comparison to the cherokee.
Your lineup ought to consist of the Wrangler, Cherokee, and Grand Cherokee like it once did. Present more engine options, more trim levels, drop the hemi into the wrangler. Its possible, and constantly done, so dont say you cant.
Give us THE cherokee. Id buy a used cherokee before id buy a compass or liberty.
Go back to your roots Jeep. Knock this crap off.

01/22, 2:17 PM

posted by:

Togo

ahahaha look at all the burgeoning autmobile company execs we have in here..

Caliber and Sebring both selling well, compass sold more than it ever has last month.

don’t quit your day jobs (or school lmao).

DCX needs to redesign the Grand Cherokee to incorporate it’s current customer base and that of the commander.

01/22, 2:37 PM

posted by:

Stuart

Are you all really that stupid. Do your calculations right and that would also be the time the current durango/aspen go out of production.

http://www.chryslerweblog.com/?p=580

Remember these rumours from a while back in the auto industry where chrysler planned the next generation Commander, Aspen and Durango to share one FULL-sized platform between all its brands.

Also remeber the designer for these new jeeps will be Ralph Gilles so you are prity much guaranteed wicked design.

01/22, 3:20 PM

posted by:

TOZO

Oh well…. They tried.

01/22, 4:06 PM

posted by:

Brendino

I think that rebadging it under the Grand Cherokee nameplate somehow could salvage it…really, it’s a GC with a squared-off back end.

01/22, 4:11 PM

posted by:

Blakkarr

The Commander was totally redundant. If they built the Gladiator and the Rescue, those would have filled out the line up more nicely.

Defunkify the Durango and do something better with the aspen and we have something good here. They are actually very neatly sized to do almost everything you’d want and can be put almost anywhere too. (DAMMIT! Am I talking nice about SUVs now?)

01/22, 5:28 PM

posted by:

jackdev73

I always find it interesting how people think that vehicles they personally dont care for should be discontinued and are overjoyed when they are. If that were the case I would want every Toyota discontinued (the current crop is so god awful ugly). The Commander was a good idea and it will be a shame to see it go.

01/22, 6:04 PM

posted by:

LamborghiniZ

jackdev73: it wasn’t really a good idea apart from Jeep offering a vehicle w/ 3 rows of seats. It was built upon a stretched Grand Cherokee platform so the third row was extremely cramped and uncomfortable; what’s the point of offering a vehicle w/ 3 rows if no one with a pulse would want to sit in the third row? It got poor mileage, didn’t drive too well, and really wasn’t that great overall. For truck based 3 row SUV’s, the 4Runner, Pathfinder do it right, and for crossovers, the Pilot, Highlander, hell even the new Lambdas know what they’re doing. The commander blew, and that’s why NOONE bought them

01/22, 7:54 PM

posted by:

autonutt

There is nothing wrong with Jeep offering a 7- or 8-passenger SUV, the old Grand Wagoneers easily sat 7 on their large truck frame. The problem with the Commander is that its sole purpose in the Jeep lineup was to provide 7 seats, but building it from the 5-seat GC platform inherently limited its usefulness, especially considering the Durango platform was readily available and would have easily accommodated 7. Chrysler instead adopted the platform for the Aspen, and the two sitting side by side in most Chrysler/Jeep dealerships can’t help the Commander. In addition, even a marketing idiot should have recognized that styling a current top-of-the-line model to resemble the entry-level model of 20 years ago is a HUGE mistake!

01/22, 10:02 PM

posted by:

ironpony42

I love the Jeep brand, but I agree this vehicle wasn’t necessary. I always thought of it as a H2 knock-off. They really missed the boat killing off the Gladiator concept, as that type of vehicle WOULD sell. America is BEGGING for clean efficient Diesel power for SUV’s and 4×4’s, and Jeep keeps showing Diesel concepts, trailhawk, Gladiator, but no show-room products. What the hell. I saw DR.Z in an Ad not too long ago touting that Jeep will be the cleanest 4×4’s in the world. What the hell happened?

01/23, 12:50 AM

posted by:

Elvio

deantj…..That means the Commander is going off the lot CHEAP. GC is one of my cars….and I really dislike the Commander’d designs, in and out.

01/23, 12:59 AM

posted by:

SevereSpeed

The whole new Jeep desing is a POS. Who will buy these damn squared up SUVs?

01/23, 1:11 AM

posted by:

Blakkarr

Jeep needs to focus more on what they are known for, REAL TRAIL RATED VEHICLES!

01/23, 9:37 AM

posted by:

TimG

Commander is a reskinned GC-never thought it was a good idea. They just added a 3d row seat. BFD.

Maybe the larger platform of the new Wrangler will actually be used for the “concept” Trailhawk. THAT would be the right thing to do. Longer WB, wider, TRAIL-RATED.

01/23, 9:38 AM

posted by:

DialM4Speed

I didn’t really think this was going to work, not because it’s ugly or as some of you like to say it isn’t a real Jeep, but because it’s just too much, too late! Basically fuel costs killed it I think. Also, I’m not crackin on anyone here but I don’t see the point of all this “we want a real Jeep” noise. Who in there right mind is going to spend $30, $40, or $50 grand on a suv then try to drive over a boulder with it? I think it’s time to let go of that “trail rated” nonsense, nobody is using these things for that.

01/23, 12:17 PM

posted by:

VDuv Kux Klan

I always said that it was a very big mistake, it isnt a bad truck, but it isnt needed in the jeep line

01/23, 9:19 PM

posted by:

Ricardo Head

Maybe they should raise the price to 40k like a grand cherokee. Then they wont have to worry about cannibalization.

01/23, 10:52 PM

posted by:

LamborghiniZ

but deantj the only way they did sell the commanders was through heavy heavy discounts, and another LLN article states how DCX has thousands of unsold commanders just littering empty lots in detroit

01/24, 2:02 AM

posted by:

Blakkarr

Note all the new Commander ads on the tube… They are trying to get them gone already.

01/24, 12:48 PM

posted by:

Noah

The ENTIRE jeep line is overpriced junk and the dealers cannot or will not fix problems with these vehicles. Glue is often used when new parts are indicated.

01/24, 10:16 PM

posted by:

ironpony42

Well Noah, you’re right, and wrong. Jeeps are quality vehicles, and only seem overpriced to you because perhaps they’re out of your price range. And sure, things break. Just like they do in EVERY make of vehicle on earth. But you’re right that the Jeep Dealer network SUCKS BAD when it comes to Warranty repairs. Just like an Insurance company, they make every effort to NOT fix the problem, or do it the cheapest way possible. Only 1 in the 5 Jeep dealers here is a quality dealer with a good service center. As for the glue line… Give Details on the specific repair, or was it just a snarky jab that jeeps are held together by glue? Cause you’re right. They are, like every other vehicle sold on the planet. Glue and adhesive can be stronger than welds, so perhaps it was the better repair.

01/26, 4:24 PM

posted by:

bb_454

Glue is soo much better! Try to weld someones butt cheeks together, not going to happen. lol

 
 
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