by Recent spy thefts have revealed more secrets about the all-new 2026 Jeep Cherokee.
The upper and lower grille treatments are similar but not identical to the current Grand Cherokee.
A slanted digital touchscreen is mounted above a bank of touch-sensitive climate control buttons.
The Jeep lineup has been refreshed in recent years with the addition of the luxurious Grand Wagoneer and the fully electric Wagoneer S, which will soon join the also-electric Recon. But perhaps even more important than all of them is the 2026 Cherokee, and new spy photos reveal its face and interior for the first time.
Compared to previous prototypes, this one has shed much of the front-end camouflage, allowing us to see a grille that resembles a mix of several other grilles. The five visible vertical slats (two are still hidden) are taller than those on the Grand Cherokee and seem to protrude further from the body. But they also lack the decorative strip above them to display the model name, as seen on the Wagoneer.
Though if it had a bit of nameplate decoration, what would it say? We’re calling this SUV the Cherokee because it’s essentially a replacement for the Cherokee that was discontinued in 2023, and it will sit below the Grand Cherokee in Jeep’s lineup. But some reports claim the name’s decades-long use is a nod to the Cherokee people.
Regardless of what it’s called, this new SUV’s dashboard design shares more with the Wagoneer S EV than the current Grand Cherokee. These first interior images of the Ford Bronco Sport rival show a large digital instrument cluster and a central touchscreen mounted at an angle, just above a bank of touch-sensitive climate control buttons.
For drivers, it’s important to see that they won’t have to dig through menus to adjust the temperature, and the switches look great, but physical buttons would be even better. Below on the console is what appears to be a rotary gear selector and a switch for toggling drive modes. The passenger side of this prototype is covered in fabric camouflage, but it’s possible Jeep could offer a third screen above the glovebox, as it does on the Wagoneer S.
Under the hood, the Stellantis STLA Large platform will house the Cherokee’s first hybrid powertrain option, with more to come later. Leaked documents confirm production is scheduled for this fall for the 2026 model year, and we’ll undoubtedly learn more—including the name—in the months leading up to its debut.
