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Going over what we know about the 2026 Jeep Cherokee “KM,” which is a surprising amount thanks to full teasers and a slipped FAQ!
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0:00
I'm not going to take you through all
0:01
the crazy details of where the Cherokee
0:03
name came from, but I will talk about
0:05
the 2026. It is basically a Wagon Ear S
0:09
with a hybrid electric powertrain and
0:11
probably a cheaper and more traditional
0:14
interior. The actual size and shape are
0:16
nearly identical to the Wagon Ear S.
0:18
They share a body and that is why the
0:20
Wagon S has this long hood on it. So, in
0:23
the background, I've got Jeep's teaser
0:25
video and then we'll go through all the
0:27
photos. We don't know what off-road
0:29
capability will really be like. The
0:31
Trailhawk could be made much further off
0:33
the ground. It could be given skid
0:34
plates and greater suspension travel.
0:36
The question is, of course, whether it
0:38
can cross the Rubicon, or at least the
0:40
portions of the Rubicon Trail that were
0:43
reproduced at Chelsea. Bolstering the
0:45
credibility of this car is the fact that
0:47
every one of them comes with all-wheel
0:49
drive. That's Jeep Active Drive 1 and
0:51
the hybrid system using a Pujo 1.6 6 L
0:54
engine, which has been improved for
0:56
durability and reliability, should
0:58
provide a combined 37 MPGon in EPA tests
1:03
with an optional tow package giving you
1:05
up to 3500 lb of towing capacity. That's
1:08
all according to an FAQ, which the
1:10
company has taken down, so I don't know
1:12
how accurate it is, but it's the best
1:14
information we've got. The trim level is
1:16
our Cherokee, which is the base model,
1:18
Laredo, Limited, Overland, and
1:21
Trailhawk. Overland comes from the
1:24
Willis company's first name before John
1:27
North Willis bought it and called it
1:28
Willis Overland. The Trailhawk is likely
1:31
to come with active drive 2, which is a
1:33
more sophisticated all-wheel drive
1:34
system with different traction control
1:36
and all-wheel drive modes. So, it will
1:38
probably allow you to do things like
1:40
send 50/50 power to the front and rear
1:43
axles if you want or have other
1:45
combinations. What's really interesting
1:47
is that the Cherokee is the longest
1:49
vehicle to ever wear that name,
1:51
including the one that was based on the
1:53
Jeep Wagon Ear. It appears to have the
1:56
same width, not counting mirrors, as the
1:58
original Jeep Wagon Earbased Cherokee.
2:01
Compared to the XJ, it is a full 7.1 in
2:06
wider. Imagine that. Now, that is, of
2:08
course, based on the Wagon Ear S, which
2:10
we're going to assume that the KM has
2:12
the same width of because they have the
2:14
same body code. The length is 192.4 in.
2:18
And the last generation Cherokee was
2:20
just 182. The famous XJ was under 168.
2:25
Selling price, we don't know yet, but
2:27
Stalantis said it has uh fixed its Jeep
2:30
pricing issues. And even then, they'll
2:32
probably have a high destination charge
2:34
and nickel and dime you with things like
2:36
charging extra for all but one color.
2:39
But we'll see when it comes out. Now
2:41
that Pujo engine is only available
2:43
turbocharged and coupled to an electric
2:45
motor which is built into the punch
2:47
powertrain dual wet clutch automated
2:49
manual and uh punch powertrain used to
2:52
be DAFF so it's actually a very
2:56
reputable outfit so don't worry about
2:57
that. Uh the gearing can be altered by
3:00
anybody who orders them. So we don't
3:02
know what the gearing will be like but
3:04
it does have seven forward speeds which
3:05
is a reasonable number. We don't know
3:07
the power of the engine or the motor,
3:11
but I would guess it'll be around 250
3:13
horsepower. It might be more, it might
3:15
be less. The 2 L Hurricane turbo engine
3:18
is likely to be optional later on, but
3:20
not at the beginning. The rumor mill
3:22
says that the engine will be transverse
3:23
mounted. Finally, the Cherokee is to go
3:25
on sale in 2025 as a 2026 model. So, get
3:29
ready. We're going to see what it's like
3:31
really soon.
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