Jeep's 2026 Cherokee Brings Back The Boxy XJ Vibes
Jeep will bring the Cherokee nameplate back for the 2026 model year after quietly retiring the previous generation in 2023.
Key Points
- The 2026 Jeep Cherokee will ride on Stellantis’s STLA Large platform, enabling hybrid, internal combustion, and electric powertrain options—though full specs are still unconfirmed.
- Styling cues align with Jeep’s newer models like the Wagoneer S and Compass, including the updated seven-slot grille and a boxy, rugged silhouette.
- Jeep positions the new Cherokee as a core mid-size SUV, aimed at filling the space between the Compass and Grand Cherokee, with a U.S. launch expected in 2026.
Design-wise, the new Cherokee has strong Jeep XJ vibes. The front wears a reinterpreted seven-slot grille similar to what we've already seen on the Wagoneer S and Compass. The rear hasn't been shown yet.
Underneath, the 2026 Cherokee will ride on Stellantis’s STLA Large architecture, a flexible platform intended to support internal combustion, hybrid, and battery-electric vehicles. Jeep has already confirmed that a hybrid version of the Cherokee is on deck although the brand wasn't forthcoming if it would be a plug-in or a conventional hybrid.
Gasoline-only versions are expected, along with a fully-electric version—potentially.
“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, 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 previous-generation Cherokee was quietly dropped from production in 2023 after soldiering on for the better part of a decade. The new model should bring a rugged flair to the mid-size SUV segment where it will compete with the newly reworked Toyota RAV4, and other popular choices like the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape.
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, been over the wall during the Rolex 24, and worked in the intense world of IndyCar.
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No XJ enough. Still looks awkward. How hard is it to make a good looking two-box design?
There are a number of vehicles (Mustang, Camaro, Bronco, FJ40) that achieved some measure of success by playing on nostalgia. That could have been better done here. As a single example, of the headights had a rounded rectangular LED outline, a callback to the XJ headlight shape, even without changing the housings that would have helped with the nostalgia draw. We’ll have to wait and see what the back looks like!