All-New 2026 Jeep® Cherokee (KM) Prepares for Debut Late 2025

All-New 2026 Jeep® Cherokee (KM) Prepares for Debut Late 2025​

Jeep’s First-Ever North American Hybrid-Only SUV Breaks Cover This Year​

Jeep® fans, the wait is almost over. The all-new 2026 Jeep Cherokee (KM) is on its way, and it’s bringing a big change with it: it’s going hybrid-only. That’s right—this will be the first North American Jeep vehicle offered exclusively with a hybrid powertrain. No gas-only or plug-in (PHEV) options—just one smart, fuel-saving setup built for adventure.

All-New 2026 Jeep® Cherokee (KM) Prepares for Debut Late 2025

Jeep fans rejoice! The all-new 2026 Jeep Cherokee (KM) makes its debut late 2025 with an exclusive hybrid powertrain.

moparinsiders.com

 

[Ehatfield69]

If it’s hybrid only I’m not biting yet. Perhaps there is a Pentastar V-6 lurking. Ten years in two wonderful current generation Cherokees has me sold on this Jeep, but I’m just not there on a hybrid. I’ll test one for sure but is there any chance us old school gas engine guys get something, you know, old school?

 

[Ehatfield69]

I was looking forward to buying it, but now after seeing what engine is in it I will not buy. It will sell for people who are looking for efficiency and the new upgrades but not towing or heavy driving. That tiny displacement will fail under stress just give it time. If they would have put a meatier say, 2.7L that has some meat to the casing to withstand extra pressure then it would be worth it. 1.6L for the prices is ridiculous.

 

[cygnus]

I gotta figure the 2L engine price will be lower...right? Less complexity than the hybrid. This is weird - I get they want this to be a hybrid, but shouldn't the hybrid be a trim/branding unto itself (4xG = Gas, 4xH - H = hybrid, 4xPHEV = Plugin Hybrid, 4xEV = Pure EV, 4xREEV = Range Extended Hybrid), so you can carve out pricing/feature differences?

It's almost like Carlos bet on the wrong horse in the 2024 US Presidential election

 

[Josh]

KM is STLA Large. So is WL74/WL75, which will get the the 2.0 GME EVO for 2026.

2.0 GME EVO will fit in KM.

Of course it CAN. But Stellantis WON'T. That's the comprehension here. 2.0 GME EVO will probably be 300 hp+ and 325 lb-ft of torque+, get a clue. 2.0 GME EVO replaces the Pentastar. The vans, the Ram Dakota, Wrangler/Gladiator, and Grand Cherokee will all get the 2.0 GME EVO. The Hornet/Compass replacements will not get the 2.0 GME EVO, nor will this new "Cherokee". You got to pay attention to the world man, 2.0 liters is quickly becoming 300hp territory these days. Going forward FWD won't even have 2.0 liter I4s unless they are large odball vehicles like vans. You're not going to see some 300 hp, 325 lb-ft 2.0T I4 GME EVO 9 speed auto Cherokee, so get that out your head...

 

[Josh]

T

I am going to guess most ..... Most people will be fine with it given the price.

But I agree as a Upgrade the 1.3 and e-axle that is in my Tonale would be a great upgrade. Or even the Punch with a E-axle

Jeep is a brand that for a long time was synonymous with the Inline-6 engine. Would it be so difficult to imagine a fleet of naturally aspirated inline-6 engines making their way into alot of the brand's mainstream vehicles? Probably not. Something to the tune of about 310hp and maybe even 325lb-ft of torque. That's more than enough for a vehicle like the Cherokee, the Grand Cherokee, the Wrangler and even the Gladiator as an entry level powertrain. A Hurricane S/O would be a step up, offering 420hp/468lb-ft of torque which would be an awesome powertrain option for all of these vehicles while the Wrangler and Gladiator could go a step further with the 470hp 6.4L Hemi V8.

You do realize that the 2.0 GME EVO turbocharged I4 that is forthcoming will be your 300 hp, 325 lb-ft base engine for medium vehicles going forward, right?

 

[Josh]

I was looking forward to buying it, but now after seeing what engine is in it I will not buy. It will sell for people who are looking for efficiency and the new upgrades but not towing or heavy driving. That tiny displacement will fail under stress just give it time. If they would have put a meatier say, 2.7L that has some meat to the casing to withstand extra pressure then it would be worth it. 1.6L for the prices is ridiculous.

You people and your unrealistic powertrain fantasies, smh. How are y'all Mopar fans on a Mopar website and you don't even realize all of the available powertrains in the Mopar portfolio, let alone market competition? There are only really three engine options that could work with this so called Cherokee (if you look at the direction Stellantis is going). Those options are the GSE Firefly 1.3T I4, the leftover Peugeot Prince 1.6T I4 (which it got), and the GME TORNADO EVO 2.0T I4. The Pentastar is on its way out, so don't even ask. The Tornado EVO will end up with 300 hp+, 325 lb-ft+. Because of that, a FWD car with that engine would seem sporty and upmarket, not the Cherokee's market. The real question for me is; why did Stellantis not use the GSE Firefly for the Cherokee? The Prince was Peugeot's FIAT 1.4T I4 FIRE engine. FCA worked hard on the GSE to replace multiple different outdated I4 engine families (including the FIRE), and even a V twin engine. So why use an outdated engine design? The GSE is superior to the Prince, making the same power with less displacement. This Prince engine being sold in the U.S. has Tavares written all over it. No one asked for this crap.

 

[Josh]

I gotta figure the 2L engine price will be lower...right? Less complexity than the hybrid. This is weird - I get they want this to be a hybrid, but shouldn't the hybrid be a trim/branding unto itself (4xG = Gas, 4xH - H = hybrid, 4xPHEV = Plugin Hybrid, 4xEV = Pure EV, 4xREEV = Range Extended Hybrid), so you can carve out pricing/feature differences?

It's almost like Carlos bet on the wrong horse in the 2024 US Presidential election

What makes you think a 300 hp, 325 lb-ft 2.0T I4 will show up in a frumpy fwd car meant for fuel economy? What it needs is a 1.5T I4 version of the 1.3T I4. The 1.3 already makes the same power as the 1.6, so a 1.5 version of 1.3 would be around 200 hp, 250 lb-ft. That's all this market gets nowadays, thanks to flat torque curves and multiple extra transmission ratios...

 

[TripleT]

Josh Josh Josh welcome.... the only good powertrains are old powertrains. Nothing new is any good. What it need was a the old 3.8 or 4.0. Dirty, heavy, slow, and under power...

 

[cygnus]

What makes you think a 300 hp, 325 lb-ft 2.0T I4 will show up in a frumpy fwd car meant for fuel economy? What it needs is a 1.5T I4 version of the 1.3T I4. The 1.3 already makes the same power as the 1.6, so a 1.5 version of 1.3 would be around 200 hp, 250 lb-ft. That's all this market gets nowadays, thanks to flat torque curves and multiple extra transmission ratios...

So tell me, what are the prices for the non-hybrid models? Because it's going to need to be exceptional to compete in this market.

Again - you better hope everyone from Allpar.com buys three of these, because the number of people that wouldn't even consider a sub 2L engine, like multiple people have already said in this thread, will shock you.

Fewer people than you think want this sub 2L trash. I guarantee this thing will not hit the sales numbers KL did, unless it gets the 2L. Not the upcoming EVO in the Grand Cherokee, but the other 2L that they offer with the Wrangler and they offered with KL.

 

[Ryan]

• CR-V (non-hybrid) - 1.5 turbo
• Tucson Hybrid - 1.6 Turbo
• Sportage Hybrid - 1.6 Turbo
• Equinox (non-hybrid) - 1.5 Turbo
• Terrain (non-hybrid) - 1.5 Turbo
• Rogue (non-hybrid) - 1.5 Turbo (3-cyl)

This does not matter as much as some of you are insinuating, but I understand that for some, the “bigger is better” mindset can be hard to shake. Those of you with that mindset are not contributing a meaningful enough number of sales to influence the car’s powertrain choice, when the rest of the market clearly doesn’t share the same opinion.

 

[patfromigh]

For the record, the previous Cherokee offered a V6 option, so a 2 liter GME option isn't out of the question.

 

[cygnus]

• CR-V (non-hybrid) - 1.5 turbo
• Tucson Hybrid - 1.6 Turbo
• Sportage Hybrid - 1.6 Turbo
• Equinox (non-hybrid) - 1.5 Turbo
• Terrain (non-hybrid) - 1.5 Turbo
• Rogue (non-hybrid) - 1.5 Turbo (3-cyl)

This does not matter as much as some of you are insinuating, but I understand that for some, the “bigger is better” mindset can be hard to shake. Those of you with that mindset are not contributing a meaningful enough number of sales to influence the car’s powertrain choice, when the rest of the market clearly doesn’t share the same opinion.

None of those vehicles are in the same segment as this vehicle. Those vehicles compete against the Compass.

Again, the 2026 V6 Honda Passport is what is going to compete against the Cherokee. Guess which will sell more? I’ll put money on it via crypto/bitcoin, I’m dead serious in making a wager with anyone here that wants to take me up on it. $100. I’m taking the Passport.

 

[TripleT]

• CR-V (non-hybrid) - 1.5 turbo
• Tucson Hybrid - 1.6 Turbo
• Sportage Hybrid - 1.6 Turbo
• Equinox (non-hybrid) - 1.5 Turbo
• Terrain (non-hybrid) - 1.5 Turbo
• Rogue (non-hybrid) - 1.5 Turbo (3-cyl)

This does not matter as much as some of you are insinuating, but I understand that for some, the “bigger is better” mindset can be hard to shake. Those of you with that mindset are not contributing a meaningful enough number of sales to influence the car’s powertrain choice, when the rest of the market clearly doesn’t share the same opinion.

Yes, this what Keyboard CEOs do. They put their personal preference on the market without trying to understand what the actual market trends are.

Do I want a Cherokee with a 210hp engine... ah yeah NO. But do I want any of the cards you listed. NO. My buddy has RAV... I hated it, when I drove it.

But what you described is the second best segment by sales volume.

The same as the focus insisting the Dodge only make cars in a segment that as a total is less than 500K.

Would be nice the have Traffic Model Maybe the Trailhawk with a more powerful engine for Magazine and Youtube tests.

 

[TripleT]

For the record, the previous Cherokee offered a V6 option, so a 2 liter GME option isn't out of the question.

Yet if it had a competitive hybrid powertrain it might have been built while the new one was being developed. V6 didn't keep it being built, not at all. Ruining the looks didn't help, when even though Jeep trads hated it, it was well liked and drove sales and the current design trend.

 

[Ryan]

None of those vehicles are in the same segment as this vehicle. Those vehicles compete against the Compass.

Again, the 2026 V6 Honda Pilot is what is going to compete against the Cherokee. Guess which will sell more? I’ll put money on it via crypto/bitcoin, I’m dead serious in making a wager with anyone here that wants to take me up on it. $100. I’m taking the Pilot.

The V6 Honda Pilot competes with the Grand Cherokee L. The Cherokee is a bit larger than most of the vehicles I mentioned, but they are marketing it as a competitor to compact crossovers like the RAV4, CR-V, and Tucson.

RAV4 - 180” long
2026 Cherokee - 188” long
Highlander - 194” long

 

[cygnus]

Sorry, I kept saying Pilot when I meant to say Passport.

The 2026 Cherokee is competing against the brand new 2026 Honda V6 Passport.

2026 Jeep Cherokee 1.6L T4 MHEV - 188.1 inches
2026 Honda Passport 3.5L NA V6 - 191.5 inches

The new Honda Passport is going to absolutely body the Cherokee in sales because of the V6. Again - I'm willing to take anyone up on this wager.

 

[TripleT]

The V6 Honda Pilot competes with the Grand Cherokee L. The Cherokee is a bit larger than most of the vehicles I mentioned, but they are marketing it as a competitor to compact crossovers like the RAV4, CR-V, and Tucson.

RAV4 - 180” long
2026 Cherokee - 188” long
Highlander - 194” long

Honda Pilot is nearly $10K more.... I take JGC 1000times over a Pilot.... who thinks this is in E-segment??? This is intended to be more roomy D.

 

[Ryan]

Honda Pilot is nearly $10K more.... I take JGC 1000times over a Pilot.... who thinks this is in E-segment??? This is intended to be more roomy D.

If it was actually a competitor for a Pilot or Passport, I’d agree with the sentiment that it needs a bigger engine.

But the GC and GLC are intended to handle those.

This is 100% targeting the RAV4, CR-V, Tucson, Sportage, Equinox, Terrain, and Rogue, albeit on the larger end of the compact segment.

 

[cygnus]

And yes, the current Grand Cherokee five passenger and seven passenger vehicles are far superior to the Honda Pilot. That unfortunately takes a step back with the discontinuation of the V6 Pentastar and replacement with the EVO as of the 2026 MY.

I am hearing the Hemi is coming back to the Grand Cherokee though

 

[Ryan]

And yes, the current Grand Cherokee five passenger and seven passenger vehicles are far superior to the Honda Pilot. That unfortunately takes a step back with the discontinuation of the V6 Pentastar and replacement with the EVO as of the 2026 MY.

I am hearing the Hemi is coming back to the Grand Cherokee though

Perfect, because the Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L are the actual Passport and Pilot competitors—not the Cherokee.