2026 Jeep Cherokee Blends Macho Looks With A Standard 37-mpg Hybrid Powertrain For $36,995

Jeep

The XJ Jeep Cherokee was a full crippled changer for nan SUV market, pinch singular on-road capacity courtesy of its unibody building that didn't travel astatine nan disbursal of singular off-road capabilities. The past procreation of Cherokee, successful contrast, was not peculiarly singular successful immoderate way, though its split-headlight creation was rather arguable erstwhile it first launched. Jeep is looking to caller horizons for the 2026 Cherokee, giving it a modular hybrid powertrain that achieves 37 mpg and modular all-wheel thrust for somewhat little money than an AWD 2026 Honda CR-V Hybrid. Jeep's plug-in hybrids haven't been very reliable, but possibly nan brand's first accepted hybrid will beryllium to beryllium different. 

Can nan caller Cherokee revive nan fanfare of nan legendary XJ? Jeep surely hopes so. The 2026 Cherokee is blessed pinch a coagulated array of modular features including a integer gauge cluster, a Level 2 driver-assistance strategy pinch adaptive cruise control, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment pinch wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, each astatine a competitory guidelines value of $36,995 including $1,995 destination.

Jeep

All 2026 Jeep Cherokees are powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-4 motor and 2 electrical motors that nonstop a respectable full of 210 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque done an ECVT to each 4 wheels. The electrical motors are powered by a 1.08-kWh artillery battalion that's exclusively charged via brake regeneration, and Jeep estimates nan powertrain should supply a competitory 37 mpg mixed and a maximum cruising scope of complete 500 miles.

The caller Cherokee is built connected Stellantis' supremely elastic STLA Large unibody level that besides underpins nan Jeep Wagoneer S and Dodge Charger EV, which could explicate why Jeep estimates its weight astatine a somewhat portly 4,295 pounds. At 188.1 inches long, it's astir 5 inches longer than nan Subaru Forester and astir 3 inches longer than a CR-V. Compared to nan past procreation of Cherokee, nan caller 1 is astir nan aforesaid width and height, but it's 5 inches longer and importantly nan wheelbase is astir six inches longer. The caller Cherokee's cargo capacity down nan rear seats is up by 6 cubic feet, and pinch nan rear seats folded cargo capacity is larger by complete 13 cubic feet. Strangely, rear-seat legroom is decreased by 2 inches to 38.5 inches, but enarthrosis room is up a spot and hep room gains almost six inches, which should thief nan backmost seats consciousness spacious. 

Jeep is expected to beryllium a shaper of rugged, off-road tin SUVs, truthful each Cherokees do travel modular pinch Jeep Active Drive, which operates successful two-wheel-drive until nan car determines each wheels request to beryllium engaged pinch up to a 50:50 torque split. It has best-in-class attack and departure angles of 19.6 degrees and 29.4 degrees respectively, but a middling 8 inches of crushed clearance — the Subaru Forester Hybrid has 8.7 inches of crushed clearance. It's apt that Jeep will bring much off-road oriented Cherokee trims to marketplace successful nan coming years, but there's nary mention of that conscionable yet.

Jeep

Jeep is piling connected nan features for nan caller Cherokee beyond nan modular AWD hybrid powertrain, which mostly justifies nan precocious guidelines price. It will characteristic a modular suite of driver-assistance features that includes automated emergency braking pinch pedestrian and cyclist detection, unsighted spot monitoring, rear emergency braking, Intersection Collision Assist, adaptive cruise control, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Optional upgrades see a dual-pane sunroof, a kick-activated powerfulness liftgate, a 360-degree camera, ventilated beforehand seats, heated rear seats, a integer rearview mirror, and Alexa in-vehicle assistant.

The Cherokee will look disconnected against 1 of nan astir competitory and crowded marketplace segments connected American roads today, though: nan compact crossover class. Most of its competitors connection importantly cheaper gas-only versions of their compact crossovers arsenic good arsenic comparably priced hybrid variants for illustration nan CR-V and Forester, and competitors for illustration nan Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, and Kia Sportage each connection hybrids for thousands little than nan 2026 Cherokee. To make things moreover tougher, Toyota's all-new RAV4 will beryllium connected waste toward nan extremity of this year, and it's besides exclusively offered pinch a hybrid powertrain.

Jeep

Jeep will only connection nan higher trim levels of nan Cherokee toward nan extremity of this year, the $42,495 Limited and nan top-of-the-line $45,995 Overland. The $36,995 guidelines Cherokee and nan $39,995 Laredo trim are slated to get astatine dealers successful early 2026. It will beryllium produced astatine Stellantis' Toluca, Mexico assembly plant, though, truthful we will spot wherever nan tariff delirium lies by nan extremity of nan twelvemonth and really it whitethorn effect 2026 Cherokee prices.

Will nan caller Cherokee beryllium capable to revive nan fanfare of nan much-loved XJ? On paper, it should astatine slightest beryllium a much competitory and compelling offering than its predecessor, but Jeep lacks a large trait of galore of its compact crossover competitors: a estimation for reliability. All things considered, nan redesigned Cherokee should beryllium much competitory than it has been successful a agelong time, but only clip will show really buyers consciousness astir it.