We were beginning to wonder if the long-awaited replacement for the old Jeep Cherokee might turn into the automotive equivalent of vaporware. Worry not, however, as the Stellantis brand has just released the first teaser image of what is expected to become the 2026 Jeep Cherokee. Headlight.News has more.
The 2026 Jeep Cherokee will get at least one hybrid drivetrain option.
Three years after the plug was pulled on the last-generation Jeep Cherokee, the Stellantis off-road brand is finally set to bring that nameplate back to market.
We’re getting a first look at the 2026 Jeep Cherokee thanks to a preview package the automaker released Thursday morning and it offers more insight into the design of the midsize SUV than do most such teasers. That starts, off course, with the classic, 7-slot Jeep grille, and the styling doesn’t appear to stray too far away from what the brand delivered with the latest-generation Grand Cherokee.
Jeep isn’t offering much in the way of mechanical details, though it did note the sixth-generation Cherokee will get a “powerful hybrid option.” It also confirmed that the midsize SUV will make its debut in “late 2025.” Here’s what else we’ve been able to glean.
A gap in the line-up
The old Jeep Cherokee on the assembly line. Failing to immediately replace the SUV hammered the brand’s sales.
There’s no question the old Jeep Cherokee had run its course. It was increasingly outdated, especially when it came to the sort of technology modern drivers expect. But rather than deliver an all-new package, Jeep simply walked away from the midsize market. And that proved to be a major mistake, the brand’s sales tumbling thanks to the gap this created.
It didn’t take long for that to become clear to Stellantis officials who quickly reversed course, beginning work on a next-gen package. It’s clearly taken longer than might have been ideal, but the new SUV could help reverse Jeep’s recent slump.
“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.”
What’s new
The new Cherokee will continue to boast familiar design cues, as this Jeep mash-up underscores.
The most significant news that we can confirm is that the 2026 Jeep Cherokee will feature a new hybrid driveline. The brand was intentionally vague about the details – but still offered an important hint. Describing the system as “powerful” makes it clear this gas-electric driveline will be focused as much on performance and off-roadability as on boosting fuel economy. The question is whether it will be another 4xe plug-in hybrid package, as Jeep now offers in both the bigger Grand Cherokee and Wrangler models.
In his brief run as Jeep brand boss, new Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa told Headlight.News future products will feature a mix of conventional and electrified drivetrains – as many as three on any particular nameplate. The new Jeep Compass, for example, will be offered in EV, PHEV and mild-hybrid configurations.
We would not be surprised to see Cherokee get both an upgraded version of Jeep’s global eDCT hybrid, as well as a 4xe plug-in. And a PHEV could get significantly longer range than in the current 4xe Jeeps.
What’s all but certain is that we’ll see a variety of different trims, including Trail-Rated options, and possibly a Rubicon package with an upgraded four- or all-wheel-drive system.
More Jeep News
- Jeep Hits the Trail with 7 Moab Concepts
- First Drive: All-Electric Jeep Wagoneer S
- Jeep Electrifies New Compass with EV, PHEV and Mild-Hybrid Options
Look for the 2026 Jeep Cherokee to formally debut late this year.
Pricing and availability
Trying to estimate pricing for future products has become particularly difficult right now due to the Trump administration’s new tariffs on imported autos and auto parts. Even on a U.S.-made SUV, analysts caution, prices could jump by $2,000 or more due to the use of foreign-made parts and components.
That said, 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 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.
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