Jeep Teases The New All-Electric Cherokee
Image Credit: Stellantis.
Jeep is bringing back the Cherokee. Yes, the Cherokee. Apparently, all that hand-wringing over the name was just that - hand-wringing. So, the 2026 Jeep Cherokee is on its way, and it's looking different. And by different, I mean it had a rather interesting chat with its ancestors and decided that perhaps, looking like a bar of soap that's been through a car wash wasn't the only way forward.
The last iteration of the Cherokee looked a bit like it had been designed by someone who'd seen a picture of a Jeep once, possibly in a dimly lit room, after a particularly good lunch. It was all swoopy. Now, however, it seems Jeep has rediscovered the T-square and embraced a boxier, more traditionally rugged aesthetic. Less startled alien, more trusty Labrador. The official press photos, which Jeep so graciously released after parading camouflaged mules that looked like mobile hedgerows, show a front end that's clearly been raiding the dress-up box of its upcoming electric cousin, the Recon 4xe. It's a bold look, a bit more upright, a bit more "I eat trails for breakfast," which is exactly what a Jeep should be saying.
Image Credit: Stellantis.
The grille itself is an interesting concoction. Those signature vertical slots are taller, standing prouder than on a Grand Cherokee, almost like they're puffing their chest out. But, in a shocking turn of events, there's no fancy trim piece above them screaming the model name like its bigger Wagoneer siblings. Subtlety, from Jeep? Mark this day on your calendars... I think the more traditional, Jeep-shaped Jeep is probably a good thing. While I appreciate a bold design departure now and then, some things are best left looking like they're supposed to. A Jeep should look like it can climb a mountain, even if its primary expedition is to the mall.
About that name. "Cherokee." After all the brouhaha, the speculation, the think pieces suggesting a new moniker out of respect, they're sticking with it. That's one debate settled with the decisiveness of a toddler choosing a favorite toy – today, anyway. Jeep's CEO, Bob Broderdorf, naturally gushed about "more product, innovation, choice and standard content." Standard corporate bingo, really. He also mentioned "competitive pricing" that "strikes at the core of the largest vehicle segment." In layman's terms: they want to sell a boatload of them. Or, in this case, a trail-load. It's set to slot in neatly between the Compass (funny name for the one that always looks a bit lost) and the rather more substantial Grand Cherokee.
Image Credit: Stellantis.
The new Cherokee will be rolling out on Stellantis' STLA Large platform. For those of you who don't speak fluent engineer, that's the same set of bones underpinning the rather shouty electric Wagoneer S and the aforementioned Recon EV. And the big headline? The 2026 Cherokee will launch with a "new, efficient, and powerful hybrid propulsion option." Hybrid! In a Cherokee! What is the world coming to? Next, they'll be telling us it can parallel park itself. Oh, wait…
Will it be a proper, mud-plugging hybrid, or one of those "look, I'm saving the planet while I drop off Tarquin at polo" types? The STLA Large platform is rather flexible, and it can handle good old-fashioned internal combustion engines (for the traditionalists among us), this newfangled hybrid gubbins, and, yes, eventually, a full-fat, battery-powered all-electric variant. So, an electric Cherokee is on the horizon, and my circuits are tingling with mild, skeptical excitement.
Image Credit: Stellantis.
Inside, prepare for a festival of screens. Early spy shots, the kind taken by brave souls hiding in bushes, suggest the dashboard will owe more to the electric Wagoneer S than the current Grand Cherokee. A large digital instrument cluster is coming – because analog dials are apparently for dinosaurs – and a central touchscreen that's angled, presumably to make it easier to smudge with greasy fingers. Below this, a bank of touch-sensitive buttons for climate control. I'm all for progress, but touch-sensitive buttons are the work of the Bogey Man. They look sleek, sure - until you're trying to adjust the fan speed on a bumpy road and accidentally engage the heated steering wheel in July. Give me a proper, chunky button any day. A nice, satisfying click – you can't beat it.
Further down the console, it looks like there's a rotary controller for the transmission. A dial for going forwards and backward. How very modern. And, of course, a toggle for flicking between drive modes, which will no doubt include settings like "Slightly Slippery," "Moderately Muddy," and "Oh Dear, I've Really Overdone It This Time." There's also a whisper, a rumor, a tantalizing possibility, that Jeep might offer a third screen for the passenger - why should the driver have all the screen-related fun? Your co-pilot can now ignore you with even greater digital immersion. Fantastic.
The previous Cherokee, the one that looked like a surprised Pokemon, measured around 182 inches long. Given this new one is aiming for that sweet spot between Compass (about 173 inches) and Grand Cherokee (a stately 193 inches, or 205 for the L version), expect something in the mid-180s. As for power from that new hybrid system? Your guess is as good as mine. The Wagoneer S EV delivers a rather electrifying 600 horsepower, but don't expect the standard hybrid Cherokee to pack quite that much punch. Something sensible, yet potent enough not to be embarrassed at the traffic lights, is probably the order of the day.
Ultimately, the return of a boxier, hybrid-equipped Cherokee is… interesting. It's Jeep acknowledging that perhaps their previous design direction was a tad too "out there" for their core audience. It's them dipping a more serious toe into the electrified waters, which, as we all know, is where the current is pulling strongest. Will it be a world-beater? Will it redefine the mid-size SUV? Probably not. But will it be a solid, capable, and hopefully characterful addition to the Jeep lineup? I'm cautiously optimistic.
