Jeep Comanche (MJ)

The rugged Jeep Comanche (MJ) was a pickup truck variant of the Cherokee SUV, built between 1985 and 1992 with rear-wheel (RWD) and four-wheel (4WD). The model came with a short bed of 1,83 meters or a long bed of 2,13 meters. The Jeep Comanche was introduced in mid-August 1985 during an event at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to more than 1.500 North American dealers.

1990 Jeep Comanche

The Jeep designers based the Comanche MJ body, styling, engineering, and powertrain on the Cherokee XJ, which had been launched a year earlier. The Comanche received a conventional detachable cargo bed and a matching body design. From 1985 to 1987, the Jeep Comanche featured a ten-slot grille identical to the 1984-1987 Cherokee XJ. The version from 1988 had eight slots and received a new “4x4” badge on the rear cargo bed of the four-wheel-drive models, similar to those on the Cherokee and Wagoneer models.

The first version of the Comanche was available with three engine versions: the AMC 150 2,5-liter, 150 CID I4, the General Motors LR2 2,8-liter V6, or the Renault 2,1-liter I4 turbo diesel. The V6 engine, which was also found in the first-generation Chevrolet S-10, had only 7 horsepower more than the standard four-cylinder, with slightly more torque. In 1987, the 2,8-liter V6 was replaced by the new fuel-injected 4.0-liter, 242 CID AMC 242 inline-six with 173 horsepower. Other changes under the hood came in 1991, when Chrysler released its own engine control system. One of the consequences of this change was that the 4.0-liter, 242 CID, I-6 engine gained an extra 17 hp, while the 2,5-liter, 150 CID, I-4 engine improved by 13 hp.

early 1986 Comanche engine.

Although Chrysler bought AMC in 1987, only one Chrysler transmission was ever used in the Comanche, and that was before the takeover. The 1986 models with the 2,5-liter I4 or 2,8-liter V6 were offered with the Chrysler TorqueFlite A904 automatic transmission.