Following the 2018 Wrangler’s premiere in LA last week, Jeep are now looking to expand their presence in China with an entirely new SUV, named Grand Commander.
The patent images that leaked from the country’s National Trademark Office and were posted by Autohome, reveal a design similar to the Grand Cherokee, at the front.
However, it appears that the new SUV is actually the production version of the Jeep Yuntu Concept, which was shown for the first time at the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show. It comes with a generous footprint that will allow it to compete locally against the Toyota Highlander and Volkswagen Teramont, offering seating for seven, unlike the study’s six-seat layout.
Power is believed to come from the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four cylinder that’s found on the new Wrangler, where it makes 268hp and 295lb-ft (400Nm) of torque.
Further details are scarce at the moment, but Jeep is expected to shed more light on the new Grand Commander next April, as it should debut at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show.
In other related news, one patent images reveals additional FCA products aimed at the People’s Republic. The first one is allegedly the Chinese name of the Grand Commander, which is said to translate as ‘Big Commander’, literally, followed by the Deserthawk, a Renegade special edition.
The Pacifica is also on that list, as is the Summit Grand Cherokee (Grand Cherokee Summit, perhaps?), a more upscale version of the SUV, and Hyperspace, which could announce a new concept car. Finally, Portal, and Chrysler Portal are mentioned as well, which likely refer to the Portal Concept that debuted at CES 2017.
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