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Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n West Bloomfield<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 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.<\/p>\n The $67K Wagoneer S EV has\u00a0left the market for 2027<\/a>, but \u2014 for 60% of the cost \u2014 its DNA lives on in the terrific, $37K Cherokee reborn for 2026.<\/p>\n You need a baseball scorecard to keep track of the lineup changes at Stellantis brands these days.<\/p>\n As the feds called off the government dogs mandating electric vehicles, automakers have shuffled models to please customers again. Ram 1500 brought back its\u00a0V8-powered truck<\/a>, gas-fired Dodge Charger hellions are in vogue, and Jeep has paused the compact Wagoneer S ute and resurrected the Cherokee for the market\u2019s most-popular, compact SUV segment.<\/p>\n Cherokee is an S without the $.<\/p>\n