Last month, the 2026 Jeep Cherokee was teased in a pair of official images, which revealed the crisp styling of the SUV brand’s revived mid-size SUV.
Now, CarExpert has spied a development prototype just outside of Detroit, which has given us a better look at the new hybrid-powered Toyota RAV4 rival.
Official imagery didn’t show the rear, but these spy photos show slim, wraparound tail lights with chunky internals, bookending a trapezoidal area containing the number plate.
The overall look is similar to that of the flagship Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs, though while the next-generation Cherokee is more squared-off than its predecessor, it’s not quite as squared-off as its larger stablemates.
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The belt line is quite straight but the roof line curves gently, making it less boxy than not only the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer but also the old GMC Terrain you can see next to it in the below photo. There’s only a slightly rounded-off kink at the D-pillar, while the wheel arches are trapezoidal.
Up front there’s Jeep’s seven-slot grille and slim headlights that wrap around the corners and contain U-shaped daytime running lights.
We don’t yet know dimensions, though we’d expect the new Cherokee to sit somewhere between the old KL generation (4651mm) and the current two-row Grand Cherokee (4915mm) in overall length.
It’s also unclear which of Stellantis’ platforms it’ll use: STLA Medium like vehicles including the Peugeot 3008, or STLA Large with vehicles like the Jeep Wagoneer S and Dodge Charger. Both of these platforms support pure combustion, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains.
The Cherokee is re-entering production late this year after an over two-year absence.
Jeep had let the previous KL generation stay in production for 10 years, then axed it without replacement despite mid-size SUVs being a huge segment in markets such as Australia and the US.
The new Cherokee will be the first to offer a hybrid powertrain, but Jeep Australia has previously told CarExpert the new Cherokee isn’t planned for Australian showrooms.
This follows the local axing of the larger Jeep Grand Cherokee in right-hand drive markets earlier this year.
Taking its place instead – while also replacing the old Compass – will be the new-generation Compass. This model has grown in size and will offer electric power for the first time, and it’s due here during 2026 along with the Recon and Wagoneer S electric vehicles (EVs).
The mid-size SUV segment accounted for almost a quarter of new car sales in Australia last year, with 287,637 of the total 1,237,287 total new vehicles sold bring medium SUVs.
The previous-generation KL Jeep Cherokee was sold in Australia between 2014 and 2022 with four- and six-cylinder petrol engines. Production ended globally in February 2023.
MORE: Everything Jeep Cherokee