Back in May, we got our first real look at the all-new 2026 Jeep Cherokee, along with a few teasers pertaining to its new hybrid powertrain, along with its retro-inspired boxier looks and news that it would compete in the mid-size two-row crossover space. These days, The Blue Oval doesn’t have much interest in competing in that segment after discontinuing the Ford Edge – which the 2026 Jeep Cherokee is sized closely to, though it’s priced more on par with the all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E. Regardless, Stellantis just unveiled the new Cherokee entirely, following months of teasers.
The 2026 Jeep Cherokee marks a comeback for that long-running nameplate after it’s been absent from the lineup since the conclusion of the 2023 model year, and it’s a completely new product from the ground up. The new Cherokee rides on the STLA Large platform and features much more upright and boxier styling than its predecessor, taking cues from other models in the lineup such as the Wagoneer, coupled with Jeep’s signature front grille treatment.
In terms of sizing, the 2026 Jeep Cherokee is 1.3 inches taller, 1.5 inches wider, and five inches longer than its predecessor, giving it 34 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row of seating – 30 percent more than the old model. With those seats folded flat, one gets 68 cubic feet of total space. A 12.3-inch center infotainment screen is standard, as is a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
The 2026 Jeep Cherokee will launch with just one powertrain, for now – a 1.6L inline four-cylinder gas engine paired with two electric motors, generating a combined 210 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque. It sends that power to the front wheels when efficiency is a priority, or all four wheels in other circumstances. One won’t find anything like locking axles here, but the new Cherokee does tout eight inches of ground clearance, an approach angle of 19.6 degrees, a departure angle of 29.4 degrees, and a break-over angle of 18.8 degrees.
In terms of trim levels, the 2026 Jeep Cherokee will offer four of them – Base (with a $36,995 MSRP), Laredo ($39,995), Limited ($42,495), and Overland ($45,995), but the Limited and Laredo trims will arrive first in late 2025, followed by the Base and Laredo in early 2026.
Comments
Not really a competitor. It’s BIG. It’s not in the Escape size class, more like the discontinued Edge.
Just what the world wasn’t waiting for
No one wants this leftover Tavares fake Jeep.
Mach-E rival???
More crap with electric garbage. Hard pass.
In what universe is this a rival for the Mach-E?
This is exactly what Jeep needs to steal market share from Toyota and Honda. The interior is beautiful. The exterior needs more time in the oven.
Apparently Stellantis has not yet learned it’s lesson. Buyers stayed away from their overpriced Jeeps in droves the last several years. Now they overprice this thing and will sit back and wonder why the sales suck. Jeep reliability is a joke (i know i own one) and to pay too much for unreliable junk is just not realistic. If you want Toyota money you need to have Toyota reliability and resale, not Yugo levels of reliability and resale.