Review: Jeep XH Commander (2006-10)

Overview

Released in May 2006, the Jeep XH Commander was a seven-seat, four-wheel-drive wagon. Manufactured in Detroit, USA, the XH Commander was available with 3.0-litre turbo-diesel, 4.7-litre petrol and 5.7-litre petrol engines and offered in standard and Limited editions (see table below).

Engines

Of the engines,

• the 3.0-litre Mercedes-Benz OM642 turbo-diesel V6 engine had an aluminium block and cylinder heads, common rail injection, double overhead camshafts, a counter-rotating balance shaft, four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 18.0:1;
• the 4.7-litre PowerTech V8 petrol engine had a cast iron block, aluminium cylinder heads, chain-driven double overhead camshafts, two valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 9.3:1; and,
• the 5.7-litre pushrod V8 petrol engine had a cast iron block, two valves per cylinder, hydraulic lifters with roller followers and a compression ratio of 9.5:1. The engine also featured a Multi-Displacement System (MDS) which could shut down half the cylinders when cruising or under light throttle inputs.

The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine was mated to Mercedes-Benz’s five-speed W5A580 automatic transmission, though the  V8 petrol engines were mated to Chrysler’s five-speed 545RFE automatic transmission.

Dimensions and suspension

Compared to the WH Grand Cherokee with which it shared its platform, the Commander was 37 mm longer (at 4787 mm), 29 mm wider (1899 mm) and 86 mm taller (1826 mm); wheelbase length, however, was unchanged (2780 mm). The XH Commander had all-new independent front suspension with short and long arms and five-link rear suspension with a track bar.

Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II

The standard Commanders were fitted with Jeep’s ‘Quadra-Trac II’ 4WD system which consisted of an electronically controlled clutch pack and coupling in the centre differential with open front and rear differentials. The Quadra-Trac II had a default torque split was 48:52 (front to rear), though all of the engine’s torque could be re-directed to either axle. The Limited editions, however, were fitted with the more sophisticated ‘Quadra-Drive II’ 4WD system which added front and rear electronic, limited-slip differentials to enable cross-axle torque transfer. Both 4WD systems included a 2.72:1 low range gearing.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the XH Commander included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full length curtain airbags (i.e. for all three rows), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, rollover stability control (‘electronic rollover mitigation’) and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

Features: Commander and Limited

Standard features for the Jeep Commander included 17-inch alloy wheels, a six speaker sound system with CD player and auxiliary inputs, air conditioning, an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, four-way power adjustable front passenger seat, cruise control, 40/20/40 split and folding second row seats, flat folding third row seats, remote central locking, front fog lights, power windows and heated door mirrors, power retracting door mirrors, roof rails, 12 volt power outlets, trip computer, tyre pressure monitoring, motion-sensing alarm and immobiliser.

Beyond this, the Commander Limited had a six speaker, 276 watt Bouston Acoustics sound system with six-disc CD player and MP3-compatibility, dual zone climate control air conditioning, leather seats, heated front seats, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, leather-wrapped steering wheel, auto-dimming mirrors and memory settings for the driver’s seat and door mirror positions.

2006 Commander 65^thAnniversary

In May 2006, a 65th Anniversary edition was released; compared to the standard Commander, the 65th Anniversary edition added a six-disc CD player with MP3-compatibility, heated front seats and sunroof.

Related links

• Wikipedia.org: Jeep XH Commander