2024 Jeep Cherokee Electric: Will Jeep Cherokee Go Electric?

Table of Contents

2024 Jeep Cherokee Electric: Will Jeep Cherokee Go Electric?The 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee is proof that you don’t have to sacrifice comfort, luxury, or refinement when going on a wilderness adventure. The 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee is a two-row midsize vehicle that combines rugged styling with a luxurious interior and has off-road abilities to help you overcome some challenging terrain.

2024 Jeep Cherokee Electric Design
2024 Jeep Cherokee Electric Design

Jeep designed the Grand Cherokee last for the model year 2022, and there are no major changes expected in 2024. It will therefore likely maintain its place in the segment against vehicles like the Honda Passport or Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport which have a more road-oriented focus than an off-road capability. Last year, the three-row Honda Pilot received a redesign that included an off-road package with capabilities similar to those of the Grand Cherokee. We wouldn’t be surprised if this trim is also added to the new Passport.

Review

Jeep, a brand of juggernauts that is growing and expanding, has added new SUVs in three rows with the Jeep Grand Cherokee L. The full-size Jeep Wagoneer 2022 and more luxurious 2022 Grand Wagoneer will also be available. A small, electric crossover lifestyle is being developed for next year.

What about the Jeep Cherokee, a 1974 model that was the first to use the term “sport-utility vehicle” in its brochures? The Jeep Cherokee, which was once a popular SUV, has fallen out of favor today. It sells about 3,500 units a month despite the Jeep badge. The Belvidere plant in Illinois has cut shifts and laid off workers as production continues to drop.

The Cherokee is a vehicle that consumers are not to blame for ignoring. It is one of the oldest compact crossovers available. MotorTrend’s Buyer’s Guide ranks it last in the compact SUV category. The Cherokee is quietly surviving, but the media attention and marketing focus are on the other Jeep models. The 2022 Jeep Compass received a midcycle update with baby Wagoneer-like looks and new tech.

They insist that the Cherokee has its place within Jeep’s universe. Morrison told MotorTrend that the Cherokee is the top-selling vehicle in America. The next generation will be even “bigger” and “better than ever before,” he said.

Don’t expect anything soon. Morrison confirms that the Cherokee sixth generation will not be available this year. Meunier claims that when it gets a needed update, there will be a large amount of electrification. They would not confirm if the new Cherokee will still be available with an internal-combustion engine. Jeep’s plan for electrification calls for a small city Jeep with a brand-new nameplate in 2023. This will be followed by an off-road SUV, similar to the Wrangler and then a family SUV in 2024.

Cherokee sales in the U.S. were down by 34 percent in 2021 to less than 90.000 units. In the first quarter of 2022, they barely reached 10,000, or one-fourth of the sales in 2021.

Cherokee’s aging and reduced production have pushed it into a downward spiral. Belvidere is often one of the plants that are temporarily shut down when semiconductor chips become scarce. This allows the chips to be diverted into more lucrative vehicles. Stellantis began trimming its Belvidere staff last month and used retirement packages and layoffs for both salaried and hourly employees. This is because the company eliminated the second shift in the factory last summer.

First introduced in 1981, the Jeep Wagoneer was given a sporty facelift and the Cherokee became the first SUV. The second-generation Cherokee was built on a different platform. It went from a body-on-frame to a unibody. It is said that the boxy Cherokee was the first four-door SUV and it helped to establish and grow the Jeep brand.

In 2001, there was an outcry from Jeep enthusiasts when the Jeep Liberty name was introduced in North America. The Cherokee was retained in all other markets. When the fourth generation Cherokee was redesigned in 2008, it retained its Liberty name.

Cherokee was reintroduced to North America in the 5th generation in November 2013, with new trims and features, as well as an updated powertrain. The name has been controversial, especially at a time when other Native American names have retired from sports teams and businesses. 2024 Jeep Cherokee Electric

2024 Jeep Cherokee Electric Interior
2024 Jeep Cherokee Electric Interior

Engine

Wranglers are available with five different engines. The base engine is a 3.6-liter V-6 with 285 horsepower that comes with either a 6-speed manual or an eight-speed smooth automatic transmission. The turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, which combines an electric motor with a turbocharger to boost low-end performance, is available as an option. However, this engine can only be ordered with the 8-speed auto. The Wrangler is available with the V-6 standard and the four-cylinder option, but it can also come with the 3.6-liter V-6 engine with hybrid assistance, as well as a plug-in hybrid powertrain with 375 hp.

The Wrangler is built to be off-road capable, and part-time 4WD is available on all models. It is operated by a knob in the console. A base Wrangler Sport two-door with the V-6, and a six-speed automatic transmission, reached 60 mph within 6.1 seconds. The same model in the Sahara trim with an automatic transmission achieved the feat in just 6.8 seconds. The four-door Sahara with the hybrid four-cylinder powertrain was slightly faster at 6.5 seconds to 60 mph.

In our tests, the Rubicon and High Tide models–which both carry heavier off-roading gear–were not as fast as others. The Wrangler’s performance on our track is significantly improved over the last model. However, it only holds its own with some of the competition in terms of certain metrics. Its handling is still truck-like compared to today’s sophisticated SUVs and trucks. Although the ride is smooth on rough terrain, the braking distances between both test cars were not consistent.

2024 Jeep Cherokee Electric Review
2024 Jeep Cherokee Electric Review

Range

The 4xe is the best choice if you want to tackle trails with only electric power. Jeep claims that the 17.0-kWh pack can provide 25 miles of pure electric driving. However, Jeep states this is enough to do a couple of hours of off-roading at low speeds. The turbocharged 4-cylinder will drive the four wheels as normal when the battery is low, so there’s no need to worry about getting stranded.

It doesn’t require much to lead this class of gas-guzzlers. Wrangler is ahead of competitors such as Broncos and 4Runners in terms of fuel economy estimates from the EPA. On our highway fuel-economy test route at 75 mph, the V-6-powered four-door Wrangler Sahara achieved 20 mpg. This is 3 mpg less than its EPA highway fuel economy rating. The turbocharged hybrid four-cylinder model performed much better than anticipated, returning 26 mpg.