2006 Jeep Commander Preview

After glancing at the 2006 Jeep Commander, you may ask yourself "Haven't I seen this before?" The quick answer is no, but Jeep designers intended on that sense of déjà vu when they sketched the Commander. Their inspiration came primarily from the now-deceased Cherokee and less from classic Willys models of the long distant past. What we see is a resurrected Jeep Cherokee that has grown in size. The shape is appropriately boxy, and the grille and windshield verge on vertical. Stacked headlights, used on only one Cherokee model within the past twenty years, outline a large chrome grille with Jeep's signature vertical slats. Inside, second- and third-row seats are raised for better front visibility, so the rear roofline rises to offer extra headroom. And in back there's a large, flat tailgate with grab handles carried down from the roof rails (presumably used to hoist oneself up to load/unload roof cargo).