The storied Cherokee returns with a polished cabin and a fresh hybrid heart — but does it still remember how to be a Jeep?

For Jeep, the new 2026 Cherokee carries more than a familiar badge — it carries expectation. This nameplate has survived market shifts, fuel crises, and the era of crossover sameness. It has been everything from a boxy family hauler to a rock-scrambling trail rat to a mall-parking-lot warrior. And now, in the age of hybrid everything, the Cherokee has returned wearing a sleek face, an elegant interior, and a mission to revive a brand that spent the last few years apologizing for… well, almost everything.

Built on Stellantis’ new STLA Large platform, the new Cherokee promises efficiency, practicality, and just enough ruggedness to justify the Jeep badge. But after a week of driving the Overland 4×4 — the top trim until the Trailhawk arrives — one question lingered louder than the turbocharged four-cylinder under load:

Is this still a Jeep first, or has the Cherokee become just another compact SUV dressed in camouflage print pajamas?

Exterior Design: Familiar Shape, Familiar Story

If you squint, the 2026 Cherokee is unmistakably a Jeep. The seven-slot grille remains, now stretched flatter and more horizontally, as if pulled by two designers arguing over width on a conference call. The LED daytime running lights trace a clean line across the fascia, and the body has taken on a more athletic stance. It looks modern, maybe even upscale — but not especially daring.

This isn’t Jeep reinventing itself. This is Jeep attempting to remember who it once was.

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The proportions are clean, crisp, and maybe even handsome. But trail dust doesn’t appear to be its natural habitat.

At 188.1 inches long and riding on a 113.0-inch wheelbase, the Cherokee has grown noticeably, pushing it alarmingly close to the Grand Cherokee’s shadow. Trips to the dealer should be interesting: “Yes, sir, this is the smaller one.”

Interior: The Surprisingly Elegant Part of the Story

Open the door, and the Cherokee makes an excellent first impression. Jeep clearly spent money here, and it shows. Texture combinations layer like a boutique hotel lobby: soft-touch panels, brushed trim, subtle stitching, tasteful ambient lighting. The seats wear intricate Art Deco–inspired perforations, a flourish you’d expect from a concept car interior designer with too much free time.

Jeep interiors haven’t looked this cohesive in years.

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Dual screens dominate the dash, but the cabin feels calm, warm, and more upscale than anything wearing this badge in the past decade.

Screens & Tech

Two screens form the digital centerpiece:

• A crisp driver display with customizable layouts

• A large central touchscreen running Jeep’s latest Uconnect interface

The screens are well-positioned and bright, but:

• Font sizes seem to assume drivers have hawk-like vision

• Some animations run at a console-from-2010 frame rate

• Climate controls on the left are half-hidden behind the wheel

“It’s a work in progress,” one Jeep engineer quietly admitted off the record, though he quickly added the production software will be “snappier.” We hope so.

Rear Seats

Roomier than ever, the second row finally gives adults actual space. The only quibble is seat cushion length — short enough that you wonder whether Jeep assumes all buyers have legs like Lego minifigures.

Amenities include:

• Rear climate vents

• Heated seats

• USB ports

• A household power outlet

The wide-opening rear doors make loading car seats, Labrador retrievers, or duffel bags painless.

Cargo Space

With the seats up, the rear can swallow:

• Two full-size suitcases

• A stack of duffels

• A weekend’s worth of gear

Under the floor sits a cavernous storage bin large enough to hide a backpack, small tools, or the commitment you once made to off-road adventure.

Powertrain: When 210 Horsepower Isn’t Quite Enough

Under the hood is Jeep’s newest hybrid setup:

• 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder

• Permanent-magnet electric motor

• 210 hp combined output

• 230 lb-ft of torque

• 42/33/37 mpg (city/highway/combined) — genuinely impressive numbers

On paper, it reads well. On the road? Less so.

Acceleration

We recorded a 9.4-second 0–60 mph, with some later runs slipping into the 10-second range. That’s not slow — it’s lethargic.

Low-speed responsiveness around town is decent, and the Cherokee surges off the line convincingly enough in Sport mode, but sustained acceleration brings out heavy breathing from the engine and a palpable sense that the hybrid system is trying to keep up.

Crucially, the Cherokee has no visible battery state-of-charge gauge. So when power fades, you’re left guessing:
Is the battery low?
Is the motor reducing output?
Is the powertrain plotting against you?

Hard to say. Jeep won’t either.

Passing & Highway Behavior

Past 50 mph, acceleration flattens like a pool noodle. Merging onto fast-moving highways requires planning, patience, and sometimes prayer.

And by 80 mph — the speed the Cherokee hits by the end of its 17.1-second quarter mile — the powertrain feels tapped out.

Ride Quality & Handling: The Most Un-Jeep Part

The Cherokee doesn’t ride like a Jeep. It rides better.

The suspension tuning is excellent, bordering on luxurious. Over cracked concrete, potholes, gravel patches, and the occasional suburban craters, the Cherokee floats with surprising serenity.

This is, without exaggeration, one of the nicest-riding compact crossovers Jeep has ever produced.

Steering & Handling

And yet… the steering is vague. Not “comfortably numb,” more “Is this connected to anything?”

Lean into a corner and you’ll find:

• Predictable but heavy understeer

• Noticeable nose dive under braking

• A chassis that begs you not to hurry

During our figure-eight test, the Cherokee delivered:

• 28.9 seconds @ 0.56 g average

Not dismal, but not encouraging.

With traction control off on a rainy skidpad, we tried coaxing some personality out of it. The Cherokee responded with terminal understeer, a refusal to rotate, and eventually, a loss of electrical assistance as the hybrid battery gave up.

Car and Driver terminology: It does not enjoy lateral violence.

Off-Road Manners: A Jeep That Would Prefer You Didn’t

This is the Overland trim, not the Trailhawk. That distinction matters — a lot.

Jeep says all new Cherokees should retain “Jeep identity” off-road. But the hybrid powertrain and CVT make this version more timid than tenacious.

In sand, ruts, and loose dirt:

• The CVT struggles to maintain momentum

• Throttle inputs become inconsistent

• The AWD system feels more reactive than proactive

Momentum becomes your greatest weapon. Slow technical crawling? Not its strong suit.

We suspect the future Trailhawk — with different gearing, software calibrations, perhaps a beefier hybrid motor — will do better. But in Overland trim, the Cherokee feels like a hiker who came dressed for brunch instead of the trail.

On the Highway: A Calm, Quiet Surprise

Where the Cherokee redeems itself is long-distance cruising. At 70 mph, it is:

• Quiet

• Composed

• Comfortable

• Soft-riding without being floaty

The seats, though firmer than expected, remain supportive over hours of highway time. Cabin noise is impressively damped, with only a faint turbo whir and the occasional CVT drone under hard acceleration.

If the Cherokee had a bit more punch for passing, it would be an excellent road-trip companion.

Comparison & Competitive Context

Against its compact SUV rivals:

• The Honda CR-V Hybrid is quicker and more efficient

• The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is more refined

• The Subaru Forester Wilderness is more capable off-road

• The Ford Escape Hybrid is lighter and livelier

So where does the Cherokee fit?

Somewhere in the middle: comfortable, handsome, efficient, but lacking a defining competitive advantage.

Except, of course, for its badge. For many buyers, that might be enough.

Price & Value: No Longer the Budget Jeep

The Cherokee used to be the accessible Jeep. Not anymore.

• Base price: $36,995

• Overland base: $45,995

• Price as tested: $48,085

For that money, buyers get a refined cabin, modern tech, excellent ride comfort — and performance that is merely acceptable. Capability that is merely adequate. And brand heritage that is doing much of the heavy lifting.

Final Verdict: A Good SUV Wearing a Heavy Legacy

The 2026 Jeep Cherokee Overland 4×4 is a pleasant, refined, comfortable crossover that drives better on pavement than any Cherokee before it. Its interior is gorgeous, its ride is cushy, and its fuel economy is honest-to-goodness impressive.

But it is not particularly powerful.
And it is not particularly Jeep-like off-road.

Which leaves the Cherokee in a curious place:
a good SUV that feels hesitant about its own heritage.

Jeep loyalists may appreciate its styling cues and the badge. First-time buyers may love the comfort and cabin. But the heart of the Cherokee — that go-anywhere spirit — feels muted.

Jeep’s comeback story requires confidence. The new Cherokee has quality and polish. Now it needs the rest of its Jeep-ness back.

2026 Jeep Cherokee Overland 4×4 — Specifications