The XJ Jeep Cherokee was a total game changer for the SUV market, with remarkable on-road performance courtesy of its unibody construction that didn’t come at the expense of remarkable off-road capabilities. The last generation of Cherokee, in contrast, was not particularly remarkable in any way, though its split-headlight design was quite controversial when it first launched. Jeep is looking to new horizons for the 2026 Cherokee, giving it a standard hybrid powertrain that achieves 37 mpg and standard all-wheel drive for slightly less money than an AWD 2026 Honda CR-V Hybrid. Jeep’s plug-in hybrids haven’t been very reliable, but maybe the brand’s first traditional hybrid will prove to be different.Â
Can the new Cherokee revive the fanfare of the legendary XJ? Jeep certainly hopes so. The 2026 Cherokee is blessed with a solid array of standard features including a digital gauge cluster, a Level 2 driver-assistance system with adaptive cruise control, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, all at a competitive base price of $36,995 including $1,995 destination.
This is Jeep’s first traditional hybrid
All 2026 Jeep Cherokees are powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-4 engine and two electric motors that send a respectable total of 210 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque through an ECVT to all four wheels. The electric motors are powered by a 1.08-kWh battery pack that’s exclusively charged via brake regeneration, and Jeep estimates the powertrain should provide a competitive 37 mpg combined and a maximum cruising range of over 500 miles.
The new Cherokee is built on Stellantis’ supremely flexible STLA Large unibody platform that also underpins the Jeep Wagoneer S and Dodge Charger EV, which could explain why Jeep estimates its weight at a somewhat portly 4,295 pounds. At 188.1 inches long, it’s about five inches longer than the Subaru Forester and around three inches longer than a CR-V. Compared to the last generation of Cherokee, the new one is about the same width and height, but it’s five inches longer and importantly the wheelbase is about six inches longer. The new Cherokee’s cargo capacity behind the rear seats is up by 6 cubic feet, and with the rear seats folded cargo capacity is larger by over 13 cubic feet. Strangely, rear-seat legroom is decreased by two inches to 38.5 inches, but shoulder room is up a bit and hip room gains almost six inches, which should help the back seats feel spacious.Â
Jeep is supposed to be a maker of rugged, off-road capable SUVs, so all Cherokees do come standard with Jeep Active Drive, which operates in two-wheel-drive until the car determines all wheels need to be engaged with up to a 50:50 torque split. It has best-in-class approach and departure angles of 19.6 degrees and 29.4 degrees respectively, but a middling 8 inches of ground clearance — the Subaru Forester Hybrid has 8.7 inches of ground clearance. It’s likely that Jeep will bring more off-road oriented Cherokee trims to market in the coming years, but there’s no mention of that just yet.
It’ll be feature rich, even from standard
Jeep is piling on the features for the new Cherokee beyond the standard AWD hybrid powertrain, which mostly justifies the high base price. It will feature a standard suite of driver-assistance features that includes automated emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot monitoring, rear emergency braking, Intersection Collision Assist, adaptive cruise control, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Optional upgrades include a dual-pane sunroof, a kick-activated power liftgate, a 360-degree camera, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a digital rearview mirror, and Alexa in-vehicle assistant.
The Cherokee will face off against one of the most competitive and crowded market segments on American roads today, though: the compact crossover class. Most of its competitors offer significantly cheaper gas-only versions of their compact crossovers as well as comparably priced hybrid variants like the CR-V and Forester, and competitors like the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, and Kia Sportage all offer hybrids for thousands less than the 2026 Cherokee. To make things even tougher, Toyota’s all-new RAV4 will be on sale toward the end of this year, and it’s also exclusively offered with a hybrid powertrain.
Hoping to buy a base Cherokee? Be prepared to wait
Jeep will only offer the higher trim levels of the Cherokee toward the end of this year, the $42,495 Limited and the top-of-the-line $45,995 Overland. The $36,995 base Cherokee and the $39,995 Laredo trim are slated to arrive at dealers in early 2026. It will be produced at Stellantis’ Toluca, Mexico assembly plant, though, so we will see where the tariff nonsense lies by the end of the year and how it may impact 2026 Cherokee prices.
Will the new Cherokee be able to revive the fanfare of the much-loved XJ? On paper, it should at least be a more competitive and compelling offering than its predecessor, but Jeep lacks a big trait of many of its compact crossover competitors: a reputation for reliability. All things considered, the redesigned Cherokee should be more competitive than it has been in a long time, but only time will tell how buyers feel about it.
