Why Jeep Discontinued The Cherokee After Almost 50 Years
In 2023, Jeep discontinued production of one of its most iconic vehicles — the Cherokee. The revolutionary XJ model, in particular, was hugely popular amongst both rock crawlers and mall crawlers alike, with 2.5 million of them rolling off the production line from 1984 until 2001, when its successor, the KJ, met with a lukewarm reception. The XJ's popularity was bolstered by the reliable 4.0 liter engine option planted in the Cherokee and Wrangler models by then-owner of Jeep, AMC. But the straight-six was not the Cherokee's only magic wand: its revolutionary unibody structure set the template for modern-day SUVs.
Most Jeepers associate the Cherokee nameplate with this light, boxy, go-anywhere XJ rather than the original 1974 Cherokee SJ — a lumbering, two-door version of the Wagoneer. The XJ's iconic unibody design spawned a deluge of design duplicates, with the Ford Explorer and Honda CR-V two of its direct descendants — examples of the sport-utility style that serves double duty as an off-roader and family Uber.
In 2001, the Cherokee morphed into the Liberty KJ in the U.S., retaining its Cherokee moniker in the rest of the world. More of a soft-roader than an off-roader, the KJ and subsequent KK and KL models failed to scale the dizzying sales heights of its predecessor – and its declining sales figures are what drove the final nail. In March 2023, Stellantis, the current owner of Jeep, mothballed production at its Belvidere, Illinois plant — a move that seemingly marked the end of the line for the Jeep Cherokee.
The box is back
The hiatus was short-lived, however. In May 2025, Stellantis announced the much-loved, box-shaped Cherokee would due to make a comeback in its 2026 model year. The new Cherokee will feature an optional hybrid drivetrain — expected to be similar to the plug-in system of the Wrangler 4xe — which could see economy figures north of the 45 mpg mark.
In a media statement, Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf said the new Cherokee, which "sits perfectly between the Jeep Compass and the Jeep Grand Cherokee", is priced to compete in the largest vehicle segment — which currently, in the U.S. market, is the compact SUV. It is not yet known what the full trim options will be, but one would expect more than the meager two trim levels of the Cherokee KL before Stellantis pulled the pin. A Diamond Black 2023 Jeep Cherokee Altitude Lux 4×4 was the last to roll off the line at Belvidere.
When the Cherokee KL launched in 2013 (with its seven trim options) it was the first time the American-Indian derived model name had been seen in the U.S. since the demise of the XJ in 2001. But given the export versions of the KJ and KL were branded Cherokee, many consider these models to be a legitimate continuation of the line — while others argue the Cherokee died and went to classic automobile heaven with the demise of the XJ in 2001. After all, what's in a name?
Were cultural sensitivities involved?
It has long been rumored that Jeep discontinued the Cherokee due to concerns around the nonconsensual use of the Cherokee Nation name. While the theory cannot be dismissed out of hand, the explanation doesn't really stack up — not when you consider Jeep continued to market various versions of the Grand Cherokee in the U.S. long after the Cherokee was rebranded as the Liberty in 2001, including after the closure of the Belvidere plant in 2023.
In 2013, when the Cherokee model name was first reintroduced to the U.S. market, a Cherokee Nation spokesperson told The New York Times it had no official stance on the issue. But by the 2020s, the cultural climate had shifted, with some institutions — primarily schools and sports teams — beginning to distance themselves from the unendorsed use of Native American names and iconography, especially references that could be construed as derogatory.
In early 2021, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. told Car and Driver he thought Jeep should reconsider its use of the tribal name. "I'm sure this comes from a place that is well-intended, but it does not honor us by having our name plastered on the side of a car," Hoskin Jr. said. In March, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said he was open to dropping the name. But in January 2025, following Tavares' departure as head honcho, Stellantis backflipped, announcing Jeep was back in business, with the Cherokee nameplate in hand.