And instead of a heart, a BMW engine: the new Jeep Cherokee has become larger, more economical and more expensive

The small (4.3 meters in length), noisy and slow-moving Jeep Cherokee was born in 1983 and it seemed that it would not go further than poor Indian reservations and farmsteads in the USA. In the first modifications, the car was the size of a five-door Niva with a diesel engine of 80 hp and acceleration to a hundred kilometers in 18.5 seconds.

However, over the years, off-road extreme sports enthusiasts have discovered all the delights of the Cherokee, which in turn received very powerful gasoline engines, automatic transmissions, and a bunch of purely American comfort options in the form of leather interiors, climate control, and all sorts of electric assistants. Here is one typical review from a Russian owner:

Off-road extreme sports enthusiasts have discovered all the delights of the Cherokee. Photo: Auto.ru

Having survived five generations, during which Cherokee changed its size classes and appearance quite radically, sometimes moving away from, sometimes approaching in design its more famous and rich brother named Grand Cherokee, the car ended its life at the beginning of 2023. This happens when the manufacturer did not take care of creating a new generation of the model in time, either lacking marketing ideas, or experiencing a shortage of money.

Jeep Cherokee third generation 2001-2007. Photo: Auto.ru

The brand's revival took place only in mid-2025, when the sixth-generation Cherokee was placed on the STLA Large platform of the Stellantis concern with a transverse engine layout instead of a longitudinal one.

For the first time, the American model received the European turbocharged EP6 engine, developed by the French PSA jointly with BMW.

As the experts of " Autoreview " write, the engine is adapted to the economical Miller cycle (compression ratio 11.3:1), producing 180 hp and 300 Nm. The system also includes an electric motor, generator and electromechanical transmission eCVT with planetary gear, similar in principle to hybrids from Toyota.

Thus, the total system power is 213 hp and 312 Nm. Cherokee certainly did not become a roadster or a supercar, but it will definitely not lose in speed to its classmates.

The 400-volt NCM battery has a capacity of only 1.08 kWh, which allows the hybrid to accelerate to 100 km / h on electric traction, but the range in this mode is limited. Charging from an external source is not provided. But! Cherokee promises to travel more than 805 km on one tank (51.9 liters), and this in itself is an outstanding achievement in terms of fuel consumption for American cars.

Having achieved modern economy, the designers thought about making the hitherto modest Cherokee more solid. The car returned to angular shapes, as if hinting at its off-road character, and grew both in length to 4778 mm (plus 155 mm to its predecessor) and in width - 1898 mm (plus 39 mm). The "Indian" grew in height by 34 mm, and in terms of wheelbase - by 170.

Together with wheels, which can be from 17 to 20 inches, Cherokee really crawled into the mid-size D-class with a useful volume of the luggage compartment of as much as 952 liters. And if you fold the rear seats, you get a cargo compartment of 1935 liters, which is 30 percent more than the fifth generation.

And of course, a new car cannot but have intelligent cruise control with an expanded package of electronic assistants, multimedia and other gadgets.

Having achieved modern economy, the designers also thought about making the hitherto modest Cherokee more solid. Photo: Stellantis

The hybrid version is equipped as standard with the Active Drive I all-wheel drive system, where the rear axle is connected via a clutch. The Selec-Terrain system offers a choice of driving modes adapted to various conditions (Auto, Sport, Snow and Sand/Mud). Thanks to a significant ground clearance of 204 mm and shortened overhangs, the crossover demonstrates decent geometric cross-country ability: the approach angle is 19.6 degrees, the ramp angle is 18.8 degrees, and the departure angle reaches 29.4 degrees. The car, weighing 1948 kg, allows you to pull trailers weighing up to 1.6 tons.

EP6 engines are already being manufactured at a plant in Michigan, and Jeep Cherokee crossovers will be assembled in Toluca, Mexico. And if Trump does not raise customs duties, then in the US the top Limited and Overland trim levels will be at a level of 42-46 thousand dollars, and the basic versions of the Laredo 37 modification will cost 40 thousand dollars, respectively.

There is no doubt that sooner or later the new Cherokee will reach Russia as a parallel import. Of course, there is no point in buying it by paying a commercial recycling fee, but it is quite possible to order it for a preferential recycling fee as a private person.

True, some fans of off-road extreme sports have already rejected the new product from Jeep in chats. They say that it is nothing more than a copy of the Japanese RAV4, and the original Indian spirit has evaporated from the car like smoke from last year's fires.

Perhaps this is so. And then the apologists of the all-terrain classics have no choice but the UAZ Hunter or Toyota Land Cruiser 70, which have not yet rolled off the assembly lines.