Payne: Jeep Cherokee reborn with Wagoneer S style, hybrid practicality

Posted by Talbot Payne on May 23, 2026

The 2026 Jeep Cherokee boasts bold, crisp, upright styling. All-wheel-drive standard.

The 2026 Jeep Cherokee boasts bold, crisp, upright styling. All-wheel-drive standard.

Henry Payne, The Detroit News

West Bloomfield — I slipped into the comfortable leather seats of the 2026 Jeep Cherokee and pressed the elegant, bejeweled starter button on the console. Just like a Jeep Wagoneer S. I gripped the rectangular steering wheel to better view the big digital instrument display. Just like a Wagoneer S. Merging onto I-75, I nailed the throttle and the gas-hybrid Cherokee leapt forward thanks to an assist from its electric motor like the all-electric S.

The $67K Wagoneer S EV has left the market for 2027, but — for 60% of the cost — its DNA lives on in the terrific, $37K Cherokee reborn for 2026.

You need a baseball scorecard to keep track of the lineup changes at Stellantis brands these days.

As the feds called off the government dogs mandating electric vehicles, automakers have shuffled models to please customers again. Ram 1500 brought back its V8-powered truck, gas-fired Dodge Charger hellions are in vogue, and Jeep has paused the compact Wagoneer S ute and resurrected the Cherokee for the market’s most-popular, compact SUV segment.

Cherokee is an S without the $.

Read full article here.

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