The 2026 Jeep Cherokee, a less luxurious and more gasoline-engined version of the Wagoneer S, has been spotted driving around by Instagram user Kindel Auto (kindelauto).
It has no camouflage, suggesting that a public reveal is imminent. It may well have been shown to those invited to today’s M1 Concourse event, which revealed the Jeep Wagoneer Command Operations Vehicle for police and logistics.
The upcoming Cherokee shares the KM body code with the Wagoneer S, but the interior appears to be somewhat different (as the Wagoneer S’ is from the similar Dodge Charger EV). All three of these are based on the new STLA Large platform, but the Cherokee is probably to be the first with a gasoline engine.
There has been a great deal of speculation about what will power the Cherokee, with everything from the so-far-unrated 1.6 liter four-cylinders built for hybrid use at Dundee, the 2.0 four-cylinders reportedly on the way and the ones already in Wranglers, the Pentastar V6, and the Hurricane Six among the vague possibilities. Most people expect the 1.6 liter turbo, derived from a French engine, to be used with a hefty electric motor producing around the same horsepower as the Pentastar V6, but with more torque at lower revolutions to provide the feel of a larger engine.
David Zatz started what was to become the world’s biggest Mopar site (Allpar) in 1994. After a chemo-induced 2007-2010 break, during which he wrote car books covering Vipers, minivans, and Jeeps, he returned with Patrick Rall to create StellPower.com for daily news, and to set up MoTales for mo’ tales (Chrysler history and “permanent” car and truck pages). He most recently wrote Century of Chrysler, a 100-year retrospective on the marque.
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