2025 Jeep Cherokee: Everything We Know About the Next-Gen SUV
The Cherokee is on hiatus but will make a comeback in 2025.
WHAT IT IS A next-generation Jeep Cherokee that keeps the brand in the hot compact SUV segment. The Cherokee hasn't gotten much love from Jeep—the outgoing fifth-generation Cherokee dates back to the 2014 model year—and that's been reflected in dwindling sales. A new offering, perhaps with a new, more politically correct name , would follow the design direction of the Grand Cherokee L but in a smaller form factor. And it would keep the off-road capability that has been part of its reputation for almost five decades, making it a pioneer of the SUV genre and more specifically the four-door SUV.
Why It Matters
After 49 years of Cherokee production, the final KL model rolled off the line at the Belvidere, Illinois, plant on March 1. But the hiatus will not be permanent . Plans for a sixth generation are in the works, and production seems headed for Toluca, Mexico. The Cherokee sits above the Compass in the lineup and has cachet. The name has come under criticism, however, and a new model is the perfect time to remedy that. The third generation was renamed Liberty in North America, but the vehicle wasn't well received, so we don't expect that badge to resurface.
Platform and Powertrain
The next Cherokee could increase slightly in size and will embrace electrification. Continuing to offer the Cherokee with a variety of powertrains including hybrids will help court a broader consumer set, and battery electric versions would be in keeping with Jeep plans to electrify its entire lineup. The new STLA platforms allow for all of the above.
Estimated Price
Expect a starting ask of $40,000 or so.
Expected On-Sale Date
The next Cherokee—or whatever it's called—hits the roads in 2025.
Alisa Priddle joined MotorTrend in 2016 as the Detroit Editor. A Canadian, she received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and has been a reporter for 40 years, most of it covering the auto industry because there is no more fascinating arena to cover. It has it all: the vehicles, the people, the plants, the competition, the drama. Alisa has had a wonderfully varied work history as a reporter for four daily newspapers including the Detroit Free Press where she was auto editor, and the Detroit News where she covered the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, as well as auto trade publication Wards, and two enthusiast magazines: Car & Driver and now MotorTrend. At MotorTrend Alisa is a judge for the MotorTrend Car, Truck, SUV and Person of the Year. She loves seeing a new model for the first time, driving it for the first time, and grilling executives for the stories behind them. In her spare time, she loves to swim, boat, sauna, and then jump into a cold lake or pile of snow.
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