The Jeep Cherokee Has Returned as a Hybrid

Jeep is looking to climb the mountain again.The off-road brand has been in decline in America since it sold a record 973,0007 vehicles in 2018. Deliveries have dwindled every year since and fell below 600,000 in 2024. A big part of that was due to the fortunes of the Cherokee, which saw peak sales of 239,000 in 2018 but was discontinued without a replacement in 2023.The model has now been fully redesigned on an all-new “multi-energy” platform that it shares with the all-electric Wagoneer S. The Cherokee isn’t electric, but it is what the industry likes to call “electrified.” In other words, it is a hybrid.The Cherokee’s tail light design was inspired by the gas cans used on World War II Jeeps. JeepIt’s not a plug-in hybrid like the larger Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, but the old-fashioned kind that only needs to be filled up with gasoline, which broadens its potential customer base.The hybrid is a first for Jeep that combines a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor to produce 210 horsepower, which is sent to a standard all-wheel-drive system through an electronic continuously variable automatic transmission.Jeep expects it to be rated at 37 mpg when the official EPA tests are certified before deliveries start later this year. That puts it in good company with the all-wheel-drive versions of the Honda CR-V Hybrid, which is also rated at 37 mpg, and the best-selling Toyota Rav4 that beats both of them by a nominal amount at 39 mpg.Cherokee pricing starts at a competitive $36,995 and climbs through Laredo and Limited trims to $45,995 for a top-of-the-line Cherokee Overland equipped with a luxurious interior and a set of mud and snow tires. A true off-road-capable Cherokee Trailhawk is in development, but is not yet available.Jeep unveiled the Cherokee on a barge in New York’s East River. JeepThe new Cherokee is larger than the last-generation model and has significantly more passenger and cargo space. The styling is more upright and boxier, further maximizing its interior volume. This is enhanced by a low window line that bucks current trends to give it an airy, “atrium effect,” Stellantis’s chief design officer, Ralph Gilles, told me at the Cherokee’s unveiling, which was held in Domino Park at Brooklyn and included a rocky course built on a barge that was moored in the East River. One element that calls back to the original World War II Willys Jeep is the design of the tail lights, which have a stylized X that is meant to evoke the gas cans that were strapped onto the military vehicles.Test drives were not yet permitted, but the Cherokee presents itself well from the driver’s seat. The material quality is a step up from the old model’s, and not entirely what it appears to be. It features a very convincing synthetic leather for the seats, while the carpet, roof lining, and other fabrics are made from 100 percent recycled materials. Jeep is treating it as something of a test run for a further expansion of their use across its lineup.The Cherokee has a digital instrument cluster and a large landscape-oriented touchscreen for its infotainment system. The latter can be loaded with outdoorsy apps like the real-world scavenger hunt Geoaching game and The Dyrt, which is a campground and RV park search and booking system. Both are perfectly matched to the Cherokee’s rugged image.The Cherokee has an airy cabin with two digital displays. JeepIt can tow a camper trailer weighing up to 3,500 pounds and has eight inches of ground clearance to help navigate rough dirt roads leading to campsites. High-end trims are offered with 360-degree camera systems to further assist on tight trails.“This is going to be crucial for us as a brand,” Jeep’s CEO, Bob Broderdorf, said. “This will be great for our loyal buyers, as well as those looking for that midsize, most popular configuration in the auto industry today.”

The Jeep Cherokee Has Returned as a Hybrid

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