It’s not quite a sinking ship, but Jeep has clearly faced rough waters since it pulled the old Cherokee SUV from production three years ago, leaving a massive hole in its line-up.
It’s been more than a year since the Stellantis off-road brand confirmed it would finally plug that gap and now we have the first official teaser of what’s set to become the 2026 Jeep Cherokee.
Though short on details, the release the automaker sent not only offered several different views of the new SUV but confirmed it will get a hybrid powertrain option for the first time.
Jeep
Jeep Fills Cherokee Gap After Three-Year Absence
Even though the old Jeep Cherokee was withering away in the face of newer, more modern competition, few expected the automaker would take so long to come up with a replacement.
The lack of a viable alternative filling the gap between the little compass and more up-market Grand Cherokee was a major factor in Jeep’s sharp decline over the past three years. The launch of a sixth-generation Cherokee could be precisely what new Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa – the man who ran Jeep when the project got the green light – needs to turn things around.
New Cherokee to Slot Between Compass and Grand Cherokee
“The all-new Jeep Cherokee headlines our efforts to deliver more product, innovation, choice and standard content to customers than ever before,” said Bob Broderdorf, the man who replaced Filosa as Jeep CEO. “Jeep Cherokee will boast competitive pricing that strikes at the core of the largest vehicle segment and sits perfectly between Jeep Compass and Jeep Grand Cherokee to bolster our winning mainstream lineup.”
The initial teaser actually doesn’t say much about the 2026 Jeep Cherokee, though one detail is significant. The new SUV will get “a new, efficient and powerful hybrid propulsion option,” it revealed.
Multiple Hybrid Variants Likely, Including 4xe Plug-In
Precisely what type of hybrid remains to be seen. Filosa previously told Autoblog that Jeep is working up six different powertrain technologies, four of them hybrid variants. That includes mild and conventional hybrid systems, as well as plug-in and range-extender options.
Other sources suggested Cherokee actually may roll out with two hybrid options, including an upgraded version of Jeep’s global eDCT hybrid, as well as a 4xe plug-in. The latter PHEV could get significantly longer range than in the current 4xe Jeeps. There’s a growing industry consensus that plug-ins should provide 30-40 miles all-electric range, at a minimum, to meet the daily driving needs of the typical American motorist.
Trail-Rated Trims and Rubicon Edition Expected
As with every other Jeep product line, look for the 2026 Cherokee to be offered with a wide range of trim packages, along with powertrain options.
That could range from low-end models like the Latitude, as well as more lavish alternatives geared primarily for on-road operations. But it’s all but impossible to imagine any new Jeep nameplate minus the familiar “Trail-Rated” options, very likely to include a Rubicon edition.
Pricing to Start Around $30K, With Top Trims Near $45K
Based on Broderdorf’s comment, Jeep is likely to avoid making any big jump in pricing for the new Cherokee. That was a mistake it made on a number of models in recent years, a strategy that also contributed to its sinking sales. The brand has taken steps to reposition a number of models, including Compass, Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer since last year.
For now, the 2026 Jeep Cherokee is widely expected to start somewhere just north of $30,000, with high-line trims taking that into the mid-$40,000 range. The question is whether Jeep might have to pass on some of the costs associated with the Trump administration’s auto tariffs. Even domestically made SUVs are expected to see production costs rise $2,000 or more due to duties on imported parts and components, according to Cox Automotive.
New Cherokee to Debut Late 2025, Launch in 2026
The teaser from Jeep said the new model will “debut late 2025.” That likely means we won’t see it reaching showrooms until the very end of this year or, more likely, early in 2026.
