The New Jeep Cherokee Is Getting the Trailhawk Off-Road Treatment

Who didn't see this one coming?

written by Steven Ewing
edited by Kathleen Clonts
4/9/2026
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What's happening: Jeep will soon introduce an off-road-ready Trailhawk version of the Cherokee SUV.
Why it matters: Jeeps are synonymous with off-roading, and the last Cherokee had a rugged Trailhawk variant in its lineup.
Edmunds says: Could this be a better off-road alternative to a Subaru Forester Wilderness? We'll see.

The 2026 Jeep Cherokee will soon add a Trailhawk variant to its lineup — at least, that's what this recent set of spy shots from Michigan would suggest. The last-generation Cherokee had a Trailhawk off-road trim, and Jeep's used this nameplate on plenty of other trail-ready SUVs. One image even clearly shows this prototype is wearing a covered-up Trailhawk badge.

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What sets the Trailhawk apart from other Jeep Cherokees? Appearance wise, not a ton. The most obvious changes will be to the front and rear bumpers, which will be redesigned to afford better approach and departure angles — important for climbing up and down steep hills, or crawling over rocks. The front bumper should get a pair of bright red tow hooks, and we expect a third to be placed 'round back.

This Cherokee Trailhawk prototype is riding on Nexen Roadian ATX all-terrain tires, wrapping unique 17-inch wheels. The current Cherokee range uses 18-inch wheels across the board, but the smaller 17s will allow for beefier tires with taller sidewalls, which provide more cushion for added off-road protection.

Where the Jeep Cherokee ranks:

#11 in Small hybrid SUVs

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We assume the Trailhawk will use the same 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid engine found in the standard Cherokee, which makes 210 horsepower and 230 lb-ft of torque. This isn't a ton of power for a compact SUV like the Cherokee, but it provides excellent fuel economy, with the non-Trailhawk version rated at 37 mpg combined. We drove the new Cherokee earlier this year and found it to be ... fine. Better than expected, but just fine.

Jeep has yet to officially confirm plans to build a new Cherokee Trailhawk, but come on, we always knew this was in the cards. We expect to see the production Cherokee hit the road in the not-too-distant future.

Photos by KGP Photography

by Steven Ewing

Steven Ewing is Edmunds' director of editorial content. An automotive journalist for more than half of his life, Ewing's been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and he was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. He's also contributed to publications like Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and more. Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. From testing prototype cars in the Arctic Circle to spilling a beer on a Formula 1 driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (oops), he's always got an interesting story to tell.

edited by Kathleen Clonts

Kathleen Clonts has worked in the automotive industry since 2014 and has copy-edited thousands of vehicle reviews and stories about cars and the auto industry in that time. Kathleen is the Edmunds editorial team's copy chief and previously worked as the senior copy editor for Automobile magazine.

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