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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​


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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.

 
Just read on another reliable site that the Pentastar is a very strong possibility for the new Cherokee. Good to see Jeep keeping that well established and valued model name and not succumb to PC invented fake concerns. Enough of that nonsense already, it’s a Jeep celebrating a proud people. Most folks, including those associated with the name get it, see it as something positive, and they should.
As to this Cherokee, if I may weigh in here, I believe this front end design, perhaps somewhat a big change, looks definitely Jeep, but distinctively different, aligned more with the upcoming Recon than the Compass or Grand Cherokee and I personally like that distinctive look. What draws me to a new Cherokee the most, at first glance, is that attractive and modern interior and increased demensions that were my only complaint on my beloved Cherokees. No mistaking this is a big step forward in the Cherokee legacy.
Hope the other pundits are right, old school or not, I’ll take that Pentastar over anything else. It’s an engine that has been flawless and satisfying in many of my vehicles from Chryslers to Jeeps for years and years. Love it. Want it again.
 
If there’s a higher performance engine, I’d imagine it’ll be a PHEV that launches with the Trailhawk a bit later.

As someone who has owned several Pentastar vehicles, give me something with more low end torque and better efficiency any day.
 
If there’s a higher performance engine, I’d imagine it’ll be a PHEV that launches with the Trailhawk a bit later.

As someone who has owned several Pentastar vehicles, give me something with more low end torque and better efficiency any day.
Some of these arguments are sad because it makes you dig into what was once one the best powerplants in the world. In a static environment its not a bad arguement. The problem is that it is not a static environment and market place moves on.

I loved my Pentastar vehicles at the time, I loved my Eagle and Apache ones also.... Even back in the 2.2T and 2.4 all were sufficient powerplants at the time.

I put the Tonale in D... I forget to do this because sure why burn the gas. And that little 1.3 paired with the e-axle the car jumps to life and feels like a Rocketship nearly as fast a Charger R/T.... flip the switch to Sport on the 4xe and it make the Eagle engine vehicles look sad.

The marketplace is not static, you sit too long you become irrelevant and uncompetitive.

One of the saddest things I find is the argument for durability thrown around it like we live in a bubble. MDS V8 Mopar's are on more lists of do not buy used then we want to admit. It break my heart a little admit it with how much I loved those engines.
 
The missing puzzle piece is the 3-speed hybrid transmission. I don't know if anyone outside of a select few employees have seen it. By now some suppliers might have had their hands on one if it really is in production by the end of the year. The design of the hybrid setup will reveal its family tree, whether the origin is from an in-house design or from a supplier. Suppliers have offered designs which can be used with either a longitudinal or transverse front wheel drive setup.

The reason I bring all this up is because the engine placement determines what engines will fit under the hood. For the sake of conversation let's say that the new hybrid transmission allows for a longitudinal engine placement. This imaginary design then allows for the Pentastar V6 to fit. Even if all the stars aligned mechanically for this as a possibility, it won't happen because the Wagoneers S and Recon share the platform and would use the V6 option to give the more expensive models some exclusivity.

One more thing about the Pentastar V6. The previous Cherokee used a lower deck 3.2 liter version of the V6 to fit under the hood. That 3.2 V6 is no longer in production and won't be back. Which means if Jeep wanted to place a V6 in the KM and its production line siblings, the V6 engine used would require significant modifications to fit. Oh wait Ram engineers have already done that for a Pentastar ICE generator in the Ramcharger.

Like I said most of this is conjecture because there is only a blank space because of the missing puzzle piece.
 
In the Ram it going to just run an inverter. The under hood space is massive as it can fit the i6 the way god intended a engine to run.
Where is Ram sourcing the inverter from? I highly doubt it is an in-house piece. That's beside the point.

Pictures of the Ramcharger running gear installed on the frame have been splashed all over the internet for months. The under hood space is all accounted for.

There aren't any 48V or high voltage versions of the Hurricane inline six. Why?
 
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