Active Seven-Seater
by Richard Yarrow (20 Feb 06)

Jeep bosses say they've never felt the need for a seven-seater, instead relying on the brand's legendary name and reputation - plus its three-car range of Wrangler, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee - to bring in buyers.

But the market has moved on, and seven chairs are now necessary to appeal to that demographic that everyone thinks they fit into but rarely do - the family with an active lifestyle. At the New York Motor Show in February 2005 seven of those Jeep big cheeses signalled their intention to cater for that mythical family by driving the Commander on to the stage and then, one by one, climbing out of it.

Now the production car is ready to go. It has the sort of boxy styling that made the 1993-2001 Cherokee such a hit, and the newcomer certainly has an industrial feel to it. The exposed screwheads on the wheel arches are a nice detail, and there are grab handles on the A pillars and a useful vertical storage bin on the front of the dashboard on the passenger side.

But this is no stripped-out workhorse that's solely for down on the farm; the flagship Limited model gets a two-tone full leather interior, and there are smart wooden inserts around the centre console and door trim.

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