Jeep Cherokee comeback confirmed, Australia to miss out

The Jeep Cherokee will return to US showrooms – but not Australian ones – after the brand confirmed production of a new generation will begin in late 2025. 

Jeep also confirmed the five-seat Cherokee SUV – a rival to the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Kia Sportage – will be offered with a hybrid powertrain for the first time. 

In a statement, Jeep said it will begin manufacturing the new Cherokee – one of its oldest nameplates – in late 2025 but didn’t share any further details on the vehicle, such as specification or pricing.

It did, however, release a couple of images and a short video showing the Cherokee is returning to a boxier silhouette – if one not quite as upright as the iconic XJ series that Jeep built from 1983 to 2001.

“This is a historic year for the Jeep brand, with more product, innovation, choice and standard content for customers than ever before,” said Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf. 

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“The all-new Jeep Cherokee will boast competitive pricing that strikes at the core of the largest vehicle segment and sits perfectly between Jeep Compass and Jeep Grand Cherokee to bolster our winning mainstream lineup.”

Jeep Australia told CarExpert the new Cherokee isn’t planned for Australian showrooms, after the local arm of Stellantis – owner of the Jeep brand – also ruled out the return of the larger Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The Grand Cherokee was axed in March 2025 after a significant sales slump.

It means Jeep will continue to lack a product in Australia’s largest sales segment: the mid-size SUV segment.

This accounted for almost a quarter of new car sales last year, with 287,637 of the total 1,237,287 total new vehicles sold.  

Instead, the Jeep Compass (below) – due in Australia in 2026 with electric and hybrid powertrain choices – will take up the role previously played by Cherokee in the local lineup.

The previous generation KL Jeep Cherokee was sold in Australia between 2014 and 2022 with four- and six-cylinder petrol engines, before production ended globally in February 2023. 

With styling paying homage to the XJ Cherokee – sold in Australia between 1996 and 2001 – the new generation is expected to use the STLA Large modular platform. 

The STLA platform is designed for electrification and underpins the Jeep Wagoneer S and Recon electric SUVs both due in Australia in 2026. 

It means the Cherokee is set to be larger than before, with the platform enabling a length of up to 5126mm. For context, the KL Cherokee measured 4651mm long.

It will likely be shorter, however, than the 4915mm-long two-row Grand Cherokee axed from the Australian lineup in March 2025.

Jeep sales fell 9 per cent in the US in 2024 – and a staggering 48.7 per cent in Australia – while parent company Stellantis suffered a 15 per cent global sales decline and massive 70 per cent fall in profits year-on-year. 

The automaker is also working on a new electric Renegade – a small SUV last sold in Australia in 2020 – due in US showrooms in 2027.

The current Renegade is Jeep’s entry-level SUV in the US, where the pint-sized Jeep Avenger already in Europe and Australian showrooms isn’t currently offered. 

The Avenger is offered here only with electric power, but mild-hybrid power is expected to be introduced Down Under.

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