A New Jeep Cherokee Is Already On The Way

In 2029, the sixth-generation Jeep Cherokee will be just three model years old, and it'll also be dead — replaced with an all-new crossover riding on Stellantis' new STLA One platform. It'll be the first U.S. market vehicle to run on the architecture, and production is slated to start at the automaker's currently idled plant in Belvidere, Illinois, before the end of the decade, according to Automotive News. Additionally, Stellantis is said to be pumping an additional $200 million onto its Belvidere investment, bringing the total to north of $800 million.

If you're like me (and everyone else in the Jalopnik Slack channel), you were probably taken aback by the news. Didn't Jeep just relaunch the Cherokee for 2026 after taking a couple years off? Isn't this hybrid crossover, which runs on the company's STLA Large platform, basically brand new? It sure is, but that doesn't matter much anymore. It seems the KM Cherokee will be but a footnote in the nameplate's long history — becoming by far its shortest-lived generation.

That might be for the best, though. The 2026 Cherokee hasn't been, shall we say, all that great. From a sales standpoint, Jeep moved 10,570 Cherokees in the first half of 2026. That's pretty diabolical when you look back at a year like 2018 and see that Jeep was able to move nearly 240,000 Cherokees in a single year — and that thing was ugly. To really drive home this point, there are currently over 11,200 brand new Cherokees for sale on AutoTrader right now. Keep in mind, Toyota isn't able to keep up with demand for the RAV4 — the benchmark of the Cherokee's class. Oh, and just to add insult to injury, it has been the subject of five separate recalls this year, which isn't exactly ideal.

Belvidere Assembly is expected to build both the next-gen Cherokee and the Compass, though there's no word on when the Compass will join it, AutoNews reports. Both vehicles had previously been produced at the plant, but the company moved Compass production to Toluca, Mexico in 2016, and discontinued the fifth-generation Cherokee in 2023 — idling Belvidere.

Preparations to reopen the plant have already started, Stellantis tells AutoNews, and more than $60 million has already been spent on projects related to stamping, body, paint, and general assembly functions. Cherokee pilot production is slated to start in the first half of 2028, and retain production is targeted for the second half of 2029.

Here's what CEO Antonio Filosa said in a statement:

"Launching the next-generation Cherokee on STLA One allows us to deliver a more competitive product while leveraging the strength of our U.S. manufacturing operations. Selecting the right product architecture, timing and execution path supports our growth strategy and creates the best long-term outcome and stability for our employees, customers and stakeholders."

With this news just coming out, there's no word on what the seventh-generation Cherokee will be like, what sort of powertrains it'll have, or if it'll have any sort of carry-over componentry with the current crossover. However, one thing is certain: killing a car off and replacing it after such a short amount of time is a hell of a gamble to make, especially in today's market. It's definitely not something you see very often and with good reason. Though, with the way the Cherokee has performed thus far, it's not without cause.