2026 Jeep Cherokee First Look: Can This New Hybrid Really Reinvent an Icon?By Nik Miles – TestMiles.com
The 2026 Jeep Cherokee reinvents itself with a hybrid powertrain, STLA platform, and bold pricing—aiming to challenge midsize SUV leaders like the Toyota RAV4 Prime and Ford Escape Hybrid.
Why does this SUV matter right now?
Because Jeep, that most trail-hardened of American badges, is doing something genuinely risky: reinventing the Cherokee for an electrified future without turning it into a soulless urban crossover. In a landscape where automakers chase EV subsidies and TikTok trends with equal desperation, Jeep’s latest Cherokee is trying to have it both ways—electrified and authentic. Which, frankly, is a bit like wearing hiking boots to a board meeting. Risky. But if it works? Brilliant.
Scheduled for a late 2025 debut, the all-new Jeep Cherokee enters the chat with a new hybrid powertrain, a redesigned platform, and—allegedly—“competitive pricing” aimed squarely at the heart of the midsize SUV segment. That means it’s going to slot between the city-sensible Compass and the family-hauling Grand Cherokee. Goldilocks positioning? Jeep certainly hopes so.
What exactly is it?
Details remain under tighter wraps than a Pentagon memo, but here’s what we know: the next-gen Cherokee ditches its aging architecture and will ride on Stellantis’ STLA Medium platform. Translation: it’s finally being brought into the 2020s with scalable electrification, updated safety tech, and a likely hybrid-first (but not hybrid-only) approach. Expect a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant and possibly a turbocharged inline-four as the base engine.
In plain English? Think of this as a Jeep that doesn’t just look rugged, but one you can actually afford to fill up and drive to the mountains without constant range anxiety or budget-induced palpitations.
How does it stack up against rivals?
Let’s be honest: the Cherokee hasn’t been a serious contender in the midsize SUV race for years. It lingered like a high school quarterback at a college tryout—nostalgic, but outclassed. Now, with the Ford Escape Hybrid and Toyota RAV4 Prime dominating eco-conscious buyers, Jeep has no choice but to evolve.
The new hybrid Cherokee could be a direct shot at both. If priced right and paired with genuine off-road chops (not just rugged fender cladding), it might actually outmaneuver Toyota’s buttoned-up competence with character and capability. If not? It’ll vanish into the same beige parking lot that swallowed the Mitsubishi Outlander.
Who is this really for—and who should skip it?
If you’re the kind of buyer who still puts “trail rating” on your vehicle wishlist—even if you mostly use it for ski trips and Costco runs—this could be your SUV. Jeep loyalists who aren’t ready to commit to full EVs will welcome the hybrid option. And new buyers? They’ll get the badge cachet and some genuine adventure chops, minus the punishing gas bills.
But if your idea of “off-road” is parking on wet grass at your kid’s soccer game, and your automotive needs are more “playlist sync” than “4WD low,” you may be just as happy in a CR-V or a Hyundai Tucson. Which is fine. Jeep’s not trying to be all things to all people. Not yet, anyway.
What’s the long-term significance here?
This isn’t just a new Cherokee. This is a statement of intent.
For Jeep, the challenge is existential. The brand must electrify without alienating its adventure-hungry base. It must compete with mainstream family haulers without becoming one. And most of all, it must build a product that feels like freedom, not compliance.
If Jeep gets this right, it’ll be proof that hybrid SUVs don’t have to be dull, anonymous appliances. They can still have personality. Maybe even a bit of dirt under the fenders.
And if it gets it wrong? Well, we’ll always have the Wrangler.
What we still don’t know
We haven’t seen the final design. There are rumors of a modernized seven-slot grille, a more aerodynamic roofline, and perhaps even some Grand Cherokee DNA in the silhouette. But Jeep is playing it close for now.
Interior specs? TBD. But we’d wager the usual suite of Stellantis screens, over-the-air updates, and enough USB ports to charge a scout troop.
As for pricing, Jeep promises “competitive.” Which could mean anything from $35,000 to “Please talk to our finance manager.” Let’s just hope they mean actually competitive—not “plus dealer markup.”
Final gear change
The 2026 Jeep Cherokee will either be the comeback kid of the midsize SUV world or a well-intentioned misfire trying too hard to be everything at once. What’s clear is that Jeep’s not standing still. It’s rolling the dice on relevance, range, and reinvention.
And frankly, we’re here for it.
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