Jeep Made a Crucial Update to Its New Cherokee SUV. It’s Not a Moment Too Soon

The Jeep Cherokee has new hardware under its hood. Can it help turn things around for the storied automaker?

BY KRISTIN SHAW, FREELANCE WRITER

Illustration: Inc; Photo: Kristin Shaw

American automaker Jeep took its popular Cherokee SUV off the shelf in 2023 to prepare for a new iteration. Then, last summer, Jeep took the wraps off the 2026 Cherokee, and it has started rolling out to dealerships in recent weeks. The big news is that the Cherokee, which was previously offered with two versions of a traditional gas engine, is now exclusively available as a hybrid. 

It’s the first Cherokee in its three-decade history to include a hybrid powertrain, pairing a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with two electric motors. Jeep also bumped up the cargo area by 30 percent in the 2026 model, which doesn’t hurt.

It would be easy to criticize Jeep for its lateness in building an electrified model of the popular Cherokee. After all, Toyota debuted the Prius in the U.S. market 25 years ago with its 2001 model. However, the automaker knows its customer base and its aversion to big changes, so one might consider the timing is just right.

Why Jeep chose a traditional hybrid powertrain for the Cherokee

While Jeep did launch an electrified version of the iconic Wrangler for 2021 called the 4xe, it was a plug-in hybrid; the Wrangler 4xe was discontinued this year. Consumers aren’t finding plug-in hybrids as useful as touted, and research from the Fraunhofer Institute shows drivers in Germany rarely plug theirs in, if at all. As TechCrunch reported, better options include extended-range EVs (which run on battery power until depleted and then switches to gas) and traditional hybrids like the new Cherokee.

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Jeep is part of the massive automotive umbrella company Stellantis (owner of brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo), which posted its first-ever annual loss in February of this year. As reported by CNBC, Stellantis said the firm’s full-year results “reflect the cost of over-estimating the pace of the energy transition.” Stellantis revealed in February that its business restructuring, including pulling back on electrification plans, would cost the company $26 billion.

As Jeep and the rest of Stellantis walk back its EV plans, it’s hyper-focused on catching up. And it’s pinning some of its hopes on the new hybrid Cherokee.

Jeep invests in a new engine and more tech for the new Cherokee

Jeep brought out the big guns on the engineering and technology side, endowing the Cherokee with what’s called a “clean sheet” engine. That means it’s not just a tweak to an existing engine, but a squeaky-clean new one. Plus, the 2026 Cherokee includes 140 standard and available safety and security features and up-to-the-minute tech like an Alexa in-vehicle assistant and a built-in app market. The classic SUV is more like a smartphone than ever before.

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