Our First Look At The Updated 2022 Jeep® Grand Commander For China:

The Three-Row SUV We Don't Get In North America, Gets A Modest Update...

Mike Volkmann May 27, 2021

China-Spec 2022 Jeep® Grand Commander "e" Summit Plug-In-version. (AutoHome China).

Back in October, MoparInsiders released several details on the scheduled Chinese-exclusive 2022 Jeep® Grand Commander (K8) that were in the pipeline for later this year. We are now getting our first look at this revision thanks to a series of photos that were released by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and discovered by the website AutoHome China.

China-Spec 2022 Jeep® Grand Commander Summit Gasoline-version. (AutoHome China).

The 2022 Jeep Grand Commander looks to follow more in the footsteps of the recently released 2022 Jeep Compass than a completely unique look. From the front, you can see a completely new front fascia that incorporates all-new LED headlamps with a new daytime running light (DRL) pattern, a new set of LED fog lamps that sit higher up on the fascia, and a bigger Jeep-trademark seven-slot grille with grille patterns taken from the all-new three-row 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L.

From the side profile, the 2022 version looks almost identical to the current model. New wheel designs are expected across the lineup, however, from the declaration photos from the Chinese government, it appears that the Grand Commander could feature the gold American flag medallion next to the Grand Commander text on the front doors, similar to the Grand Cherokee L, Wagoneer, and Grand Wagoneer models. This detail is absent in the 3/4 front images and would be strange considering the vehicles are made in China and not available in the United States.

China-Spec 2022 Jeep® Grand Commander Declaration Pictures. (AutoHome China).

The declaration photos also show us that Jeep will be expanding the lineup for the 2022 model year. While the three-row Grand Commander already offers a Longitude, Limited, Overland, and Summit model range, it appears that the popular darkened themed Night Eagle trim (known as the Altitude in North America), will be joining the lineup as well.

The rear of the vehicle is the most changed part of the exterior. Giving the vehicle a mixed design of Grand Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee L, the new 2022 Jeep Grand Commander features a new taillight design that moves across the back of the vehicle, before stopping about midway to displace the Grand Commander text. The taillamp design itself looks to pull heavy influence from the new Grand Wagoneer models.

Looking at the lower rear fascia, we see that the exhaust tips no longer are attached at the bottom of the rear fascia but come through the rear fascia about 4 to 6-inches higher than the current model. This makes the rear look more upscale and more in line with the new Grand Cherokee L model. A silver accent plate is located at the lower portion of the bumper, helping to enhance the profile of the vehicle’s rear styling treatment.

Inside, we have been told that the new Grand Commander will feature an all-new instrument panel design that features a full digital 10-inch gauge cluster similar to the Grand Cherokee L. The Grand Commander will also share a new 10.1-inch Uconnect 5 infotainment touchscreen media center as well as a rotary-dial shifter instead of the conventional shifter like the current model, again pulling elements from the new Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer models.

Under the hood, the Commander and Grand Commander will continue to be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four-cylinder engine with two power outputs. However, the focus will shift to an updated version of the current electrified powertrain. The Commander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) will have more range than the current version and will help as the Chinese marketplace pushes electric vehicles more than ever. The Commander PHEV will still use the 2.0-liter turbocharged four as a generator to recharge the bigger battery packs when an outlet isn’t available.

While the PHEV version of the Commander is front-wheel-drive only, it will not get the 4xe designation that the rest of the Jeep brand has been adapting to with its four-wheel-drive electrified offerings. This means that the Grand Commander will only get the “e” badging placed on its rear liftgate signally it is a PHEV.

On the safety end, the Grand Commander will adapt a lot of the same L2 autonomous technology and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) functionality like…

Highway Assist System
Traffic Jam Assist System
Traffic Sign Recognition
Lane Keep Assist
Active Blind Spot Assist
Driver Attention Alert
Full-Speed Forward Collision Warning-Plus

Some of these features can be seen placed on the exterior of the vehicle, such as the forward-facing radar underneath the front license plate bracket.

The new Grand Commander lineup should make its debut over the summer. Expect the new model to be released in the fall of 2021.

So what do you think of the new Grand Commander? Let us know in the comments below or in our MoparInsiders.com forums.

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bill burke May 28, 2021 #1

I’m pretty knowlegable on the Cherokee, having leased two for six years. My decision to buy my Cherokee off lease in August sums up my opinion, though not perfect, as a grocery hauler and people mover, it is a very competent, stylish, comfortable and reliable vehicle. BUT, I still believe Jeep is strapped with an “identity crisis” with the Cherokee, sadly one that the Chinese are addressing better than their American counterparts. I have advocated on these pages for months, admittedly with some proposals that could be called overreach, that going a bit longer, wider and with the utilization of one of Jeeps RWD platforms, new positioning that would vastly improve the appeal of the Cherokee in relation to its too similar and overlapping cousins the Compass and Renegade. Frankly I am confused. Why is this Grand Commander not restyled and sold as a Chrysler? Why has Jeep not addressed the overlap and identity issues with Cherokee? Hopefully with the infusion of new platforms and new thinking from Stellantis these issues will be addressed, or regrettably, Cherokee soldiers along as is and buying mine off lease will be a smart decision, one made easier because I see no reason to get into a 2022 Cherokee. Point, the Cherokee needs a big update and I don’t mean grill and tail lights.

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UN4GTBL May 28, 2021 #2

I still think its funny that my Cherokee has a picture of the Grand Commander on the inside of the fuel lid

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bill burke May 29, 2021 #3

As an addedem to my comment, if nothing else, I do hope these pleasing styling changes and an improved and updated interior make it to the North American Cherokee. Perhaps I have to accept that Jeep has invested too much in this Cherokee and cosmetics are all I can hope for. As a Chrysler guy I will however remain hopeful that a three row Cherokee (Grand Commander) spin-off makes it to production as a Chrysler SUV. If any brand deserves this version, it is Chrysler. Maybe the Chinese should design it for us. Come on man!