- The Jeep Cherokee is returning after a short hiatus.
- A redesigned model will be launched later this year.
Jeep just released the first pictures and details about the new generation 2026 Cherokee. While we knew a new crossover was in the works, its name had been up for debate.
As we noted in January, Stellantis announced plans for “three all-new Jeep nameplates” and had been referring to the model as the “New Mainstream UV [Utility Vehicle].” This seemed to imply the company was purposely avoiding using the Cherokee name.
More: The Jeep Cherokee Is Back for 2026 And It Looks Nothing Like You Remember
This wouldn’t be the first time as the company replaced the iconic Cherokee XJ with the Liberty. It survived for two generations, before being replaced by the 2014 Cherokee KL, which survived until 2023.
However, there had been hints the Cherokee name would return following a short hiatus. In 2024, then Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa teased you “could probably guess” what their mid-sized crossover would be called.
With the Cherokee’s return now official, it’s time to ask if Jeep should have continued using the moniker? The brand’s use of the name dates back to the 1970’s, when Americans were more concerned about oil embargos than political correctness.
However, a lot has changed in the past 50 years. This includes high schools and professional sports teams retiring names and mascots that could be considered offensive to Native Americans. The Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins are the most high-profile examples, but there are still some holdouts including the Kansas City Chiefs.
Even the Cherokee Nation asked Jeep to stop using their name in 2021. However, the company declined and said, “Our vehicle names have been carefully chosen and nurtured over the years to honor and celebrate Native American people for their nobility, prowess, and pride.”
All this brings us to our question of the day, should Jeep have stopped using the Cherokee name? It’s certainly an iconic moniker but, at the end of the day, it’s simply a name. Jeep has already shown a willingness to drop it in the past, so it wouldn’t have been hard to do it again.
That being said, Jeep doesn’t have a stellar track record with creativity. In 2022, the company launched a contest to name their upcoming electric vehicle that was codenamed the Wagoneer S. Despite getting thousands of submissions, the company stuck with Wagoneer S. In hindsight, they should have called it overpriced and unsellable.
