Final month, the 2026 Jeep Cherokee was teased in a pair of official photos, which revealed the crisp styling of the SUV model’s revived mid-size SUV.
Now, CarExpert has spied a growth prototype simply outdoors of Detroit, which has given us a greater take a look at the brand new hybrid-powered Toyota RAV4 rival.
Official imagery didn’t present the rear, however these spy photographs present slim, wraparound tail lights with chunky internals, bookending a trapezoidal space containing the quantity plate.
The general look is much like that of the flagship Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs, although whereas the next-generation Cherokee is extra squared-off than its predecessor, it’s not fairly as squared-off as its bigger stablemates.
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The belt line is sort of straight however the roof line curves gently, making it much less boxy than not solely the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer but in addition the previous GMC Terrain you may see subsequent to it within the beneath photograph. There’s solely a barely rounded-off kink on the D-pillar, whereas the wheel arches are trapezoidal.
Up entrance there’s Jeep’s seven-slot grille and slim headlights that wrap across the corners and comprise U-shaped daytime operating lights.
We don’t but know dimensions, although we’d anticipate the brand new Cherokee to sit down someplace between the previous KL era (4651mm) and the present two-row Grand Cherokee (4915mm) in total size.
It’s additionally unclear which of Stellantis’ platforms it’ll use: STLA Medium like autos together with the Peugeot 3008, or STLA Giant with autos just like the Jeep Wagoneer S and Dodge Charger. Each of those platforms help pure combustion, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electrical powertrains.
The Cherokee is re-entering manufacturing late this 12 months after an over two-year absence.
Jeep had let the earlier KL era keep in manufacturing for 10 years, then axed it with out substitute regardless of mid-size SUVs being an enormous phase in markets comparable to Australia and the US.
The brand new Cherokee would be the first to supply a hybrid powertrain, however Jeep Australia has beforehand advised CarExpert the brand new Cherokee isn’t deliberate for Australian showrooms.
This follows the native axing of the bigger Jeep Grand Cherokee in right-hand drive markets earlier this 12 months.
Taking its place as an alternative – whereas additionally changing the previous Compass – would be the new-generation Compass. This mannequin has grown in dimension and can supply electrical energy for the primary time, and it’s due right here throughout 2026 together with the Recon and Wagoneer S electrical autos (EVs).
The mid-size SUV phase accounted for nearly 1 / 4 of latest automotive gross sales in Australia final 12 months, with 287,637 of the overall 1,237,287 whole new autos bought carry medium SUVs.
The previous-generation KL Jeep Cherokee was bought in Australia between 2014 and 2022 with four- and six-cylinder petrol engines. Manufacturing ended globally in February 2023.
