2024 Jeep Cherokee is a giant brand that continues to grow and evolve, adding a new three-row SUV with the well-received Jeep Grand Cherokee L and the addition of the full-size 2022 Jeep Wagoneer and the more premium 2022 Grand Wagoneer.
On the small end of the spectrum, a small electric lifestyle crossover is in the works, due for release next year.
But what about one of the originals, a 1974 Jeep Cherokee with a brochure that introduced a new term: sports car?
Today, despite the Jeep badge and inclusion in the popular compact SUV segment, the storied Cherokee has largely fallen off the buyer’s radar, selling around 3,500 per month as of late.
Production has continued to decline and the Belvidere, Illinois, plant has cut shifts and laid off workers.
You can’t blame consumers for ignoring the Cherokee. The current generation dates back to the 2014 model year, making it one of the oldest compact SUVs on the market and last among the compact SUVs on the MotorTrend Buyer’s Guide ranking.
While the Cherokee was quietly moving, the media and marketing hype was centered on almost every other model in the Jeep world. Even the 2022 Jeep Compass gets a midcycle refresh with a Baby Wagoneer look and new technology.
So where is the love? Or did Jeep dump the Cherokee into the meadow? We asked Jeep Brand Global President Christian Meunier and Jeep Brand North America head Jim Morrison about the future of the Cherokee.
2024 Jeep Cherokee Review
The struggle is real for the Jeep Cherokee, but nothing will change for a while. Next-generation Jeep Cherokee models continue to be pushed for other Jeep models such as the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and the new electric Jeep as Cherokee sales decline.
No, the Jeep Cherokee hasn’t been discontinued. It was simply ignored because Stellantis was more focused on other models. Changes are being made to the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer, the Jeep Compass is getting a new interior, and a new Jeep EV is in the works.
Meanwhile, the Cherokees have been hanging out in the background, but not going out into the meadow. According to MotorTrend, Jim Morrison, Head of Jeep Brand North America, shares that big plans are in the works.
The next-generation Jeep Cherokee will be bigger and better than ever. It will also include a lot of electrification. Morrison did not say if the new Cherokee would continue to offer internal combustion engines.
Also, Morrison made it clear that a much-needed update to the Cherokee won’t be arriving this year. Instead, we can look for an urban Jeep model with a new name that will be followed by an all-electric off-roader like the Wrangler. Then the electric family option will come out.
It looks like the Jeep Cherokee has been struggling with its downward spiral for months. In 2021 sales of the Cherokee fell 34 percent, to less than 90,000 units in the United States. Then sales fell to around 10,000 units during the first quarter of 2022.
The Cherokee is currently moving about 3,500 units a month as production dwindles at the plant in Belvidere, Illinois. Factories have cut shifts and laid off workers to reduce hourly staff and salaries.
Things like the ongoing shortage of semiconductor chips, other supply chain issues, and the age of the Cherokee have impacted production. Jeep took from the supply of Cherokee chips to use them in more profitable models.
The fifth-generation Cherokee debuted in 2013, so it’s been almost 10 years. Plus, Native Americans have asked Jeep to drop the Cherokee name. But ups and downs have been a staple in the Jeep lineup since 1973.
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2024 Jeep Cherokee Report
The Cherokee still has a place in the Jeep universe, they insist. It’s in the No.1 segment in America and the plan is for the next-generation Cherokee to be “bigger and better than ever,” Morrison told MotorTrend in an interview.
But don’t hold your breath. “We won’t be seeing a sixth-generation Cherokee this year,” Morrison said. When it gets a much-needed update, it will have a lot of electrification, Meunier said.
Executives won’t say if the next Cherokee will continue to be offered with an internal combustion engine.
Jeep’s electrification plans call for a new small urban Jeep (with a new nameplate) in the first half of 2023, followed by pure off-road SUVs (think Wrangler) and family SUVs to follow in 2024.
That’s according to a report from trade publication Automotive News, which reports the next-generation Cherokee isn’t expected to launch until 2025.
That means it will be over a decade old by the time it is replaced, and it will be lost among the flurry of new products for the brand.
The new all-electric Jeep will reportedly launch in 2023, followed by the redesigned Compass and Renegade in 2024. The latter recently received a 4xe plug-in hybrid variant in their current generation.
The company is also expanding the line-up from both ends. The new seven-seater Grand Cherokee L lands later in 2021, the new Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs have launched in the US (but won’t be coming here), and the light SUV will go into production in Poland by the end of the year. 2022.
Jeep has teased two future electric models in the wireframe: one rugged Wagoneer-esque model, the other with subtle styling more akin to the Grand Cherokee.
It teased the two at a presentation for Stellantis’ new STLA Large all-electric architecture, and confirmed it’s working on a “highly capable” off-roading “space vehicle” for Jeep – that’s likely the more rugged-looking of the two.
The long wait for the new Cherokee is unusual given the huge popularity of the midsize SUV.
While Jeep has sold more than 200,000 units of the KL Cherokee in the US in the three different years since its launch in late 2013, sales have recently been flat.
In 2020, it was sold out by the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Mazda CX-5, placing 10th overall in its segment according to Carsalesbase.
While it’s still being sold in relatively large numbers in the US, it’s really been on the decline here despite a facelift in 2018.
In 2015, Jeep sold 6156 Cherokees, beating out the Ford Kuga, Holden Captiva 5, and Suzuki Grand Vitara, if not enough of a threat to backers like the Toyota RAV4.
The volume then fell massively to 2,079 sales in 2016, with a gradual decline in sales thereafter.
Jeep sold only 357 Cherokees in Australia last year per VFACTS, placing it ahead of the discontinued Citroen C5 Aircross (89), Peugeot 5008 (242), SsangYong Korando (252), and Volkswagen Golf Alltrack (343).
The Cherokee has been relegated to a special status, with the revised and smaller Compass price range overlapping it.
As CarExpert reported earlier this month, the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder ‘Tigershark petrol engine is being dropped globally.
That means the entry-level front-wheel drive Sport has been discontinued for 2022, with now the V6-only local variant unlocked with the Limited.
Read next: 2025 Jeep Wagoneer: All-New Jeep Wagoneer EV Luxurious SUV Review
2024 Jeep Cherokee Engine
By contrast, European buyers currently have a choice between the 2.2-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder or the 2.0-liter turbo-petrol four that is optional in the US alongside the 3.2-liter petrol V6.
We have never received a turbo-petrol in Australia, which produces 200kW of power and 400Nm of torque.
An all-wheel drive turbo-diesel KL Cherokee was offered here, however, it was only available from 2014 to 2015 in Limited form.
While the V6 petrol engine was once available in midsize crossovers like the Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4, the Cherokee is now the only midsize SUV offered in Australia.
It is also unique in offering an off-road-oriented variant, the Trailhawk.
2024 Jeep Cherokee Price
Yes, the Jeep Cherokee 2023 is worth buying, even if the model is old. It provides the excellent off-road capability and has many powerful engines to choose from. But it has no cargo space and becomes expensive in an instant.
The 2022 Cherokee starts at around $29,995. The 2023 model could see a price increase of several hundred dollars due to rising inflation.
With the standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, you get 180 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque. The 3.2-liter V6 engine produces 271 hp and 239 lb-ft of torque, while the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder produces 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.
Cherokee lives for the moment, but we wouldn’t be considered if the name was changed. Also, we hope to stay profitable and last until a new model comes out.
People also ask for Jeep Cherokee 2024
Q: Is the Jeep Cherokee going to be discontinued?
A: Was the Jeep Cherokee discontinued? No, the Jeep Cherokee hasn’t been discontinued. It was simply ignored because Stellantis was more focused on other models. Changes are being made to the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer, the Jeep Compass is getting a new interior, and a new Jeep EV is in the works.
Q: Is the Jeep Cherokee going to be redesigned?
A: The last time the Jeep Cherokee was completely redesigned was in 2014. Despite the age of the compact SUV, we expect the Jeep Cherokee 2023 to arrive as a carryover model. A full redesign is expected in 2025. The Cherokee’s exterior design will not change for 2023.
Q: Is Jeep coming out with a new Cherokee?
A: Legendary SUV. From modern technology to impressive capabilities, the 2022 Jeep ® Cherokee is built to bring travel to life.
Q: Why is Jeep dropping the Cherokee name?
A: The chief of the Cherokee Nation has asked Jeep to stop using tribal names on its SUVs. Jeep’s new boss says the company is open to removing the “Cherokee” name from its vehicles in response to objections from Cherokee Nation