2009 Jeep Commander

The Jeep Commander was the first Jeep model to have three row seating and carry seven passengers. Now it's getting a new 5.7L V-8 HEMI that puts out 357-hp and 389 lb-ft of torque, and thanks to the engine's new Variable Valve Timing (VVT), the 8.2 percent increase in power and 3.7 percent increase in torque actually comes with increased fuel economy. A combination of increased power and improved gas mileage makes the 2009 Jeep Commander an all-around better package compared to the previous-generation Commander.

Other amenities included with the new Commander are auto-leveling HID headlamps, dual-zone automatic temperature controls, rain-sensing wipers, new interior appearance upgrades, an iPod interface on navigation radios, a new 9-in. rear DVD screen, and new wheel options. The Laredo model tire-pressure-monitor warnings in the Electronic Vehicle Information Center have been upgraded in the instrument panel.

WHAT'S NEW FOR 2009: The first Jeep vehicle with three rows of seats to carry seven passengers now features an available 5.7-Liter HEMI engine capable of 357 horsepower (266 kW) and 389 lb.-ft. (527 N*m) of torque. 2009 Jeep Commander customers now can visit more places and enjoy their "go-anywhere, do-anything" lifestyles with a HEMI under the hood, and they'll enjoy better fuel economy, too.

The teardown and rebuilding is continuing over at Chrysler. The automaker is apparently ready to cut the slow-selling the Jeep Commander SUV from its lineup by mid-2009, according to a Bloomberg report.

If the Bloomberg report is accurate, the deletion of the Commander would make it the fifth model to be scrapped by Chrysler after a 29 percent decrease in sales to just over 63,000 units since 2006. The move wouldn't be a big surprise considering the 2009 Jeep Commander's sales and the ever-increasing price of gas. The Commander was one of the last new full-size SUVs released on the market, and from the beginning has been a classic case of wrong vehicle at the wrong time for the Jeep brand.