Jeep's Cherokee Trailhawk Brings Real Low Range to a Hybrid SUV for $44,625
A two-speed transfer case, a locking rear axle, and a 24-inch fording rating turn the hybrid Cherokee into a genuine trail tool, at a cost of 6 mpg.
Jeep has finally given the hybrid Cherokee the hardware its badge has always promised. The 2027 Cherokee Trailhawk pairs the same 210-hp 1.6-liter turbo hybrid with a two-speed transfer unit, a true low range, and an electronic locking rear axle, and it starts at $44,625 including a $1,995 destination charge.
That sets it apart from the other electrified compacts dressed for dirt, including Subaru's new Forester Wilderness Hybrid and Toyota's RAV4 Woodland. Jeep says no rival in the class offers a two-speed transfer unit.
What the Trailhawk adds
Other Cherokees use Active Drive I. The Trailhawk steps up to Active Drive II with Lock Mode, and its power transfer unit adds a 2.92:1 low range for a 37.5:1 crawl ratio. In practice, that means the SUV can crawl up a loose, steep grade without the driver riding the brakes.
A 1-inch suspension lift brings ground clearance to 9 inches. Unique spring and damper tuning adds 45 points to the Ramp Travel Index score compared with other Cherokees, a sign of how much more the axles can articulate. A Trailhawk-only front fascia with a gloss black upper section frees up the angles: 28.8 degrees approach, 21.9 degrees breakover, and 31.8 degrees departure.
Jeep rates the Trailhawk to ford 24 inches of water, up from 20 inches for the standard Cherokee, and says no other SUV in the class matches it.
Steel skid plates shield the front axle, wiring, and fuel tank, and a separate plate covers the hybrid battery. Red tow hooks sit front and rear. Both 17-inch wheel designs wear 245/65R17 Nexen Roadian ATX all-terrain tires, and the Selec-Terrain system has five modes: Auto, Sport, Snow, Sand/Mud, and Rock.
Jeep says engineers validated the SUV on slickrock and sand at Sand Hollow and on trails around Moab, both in Utah.
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The price of capability: 6 mpg
All that hardware shows up at the pump. Jeep estimates the Trailhawk at 31 mpg combined, while it quotes 37 mpg for the regular Cherokee. The company hasn't explained the gap, and the EPA hasn't published a final Trailhawk figure.
It also leaves the Jeep behind its most direct rivals on efficiency. The RAV4 Woodland is EPA-rated at 38 mpg combined and starts at $41,350 with destination. The Forester Wilderness Hybrid costs $41,970 with destination and offers 9.3 inches of ground clearance, slightly more than the Jeep, though its EPA rating isn't out yet.
That makes the Trailhawk $2,655 to $3,275 more expensive than those two. The premium buys low range, a rear locker, and deeper water fording. Buyers who mostly stay on pavement may be better served by the mainstream CR-V and RAV4 hybrids.
Overland equipment for less money
Jeep bundles most of the Overland's content into the Trailhawk: LED headlights and taillights, fog lamps, heated power front seats with memory, a heated steering wheel, and a foot-activated power liftgate. Every Cherokee already gets a 10.25-inch digital cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen.
The cabin gets Mantis Green upholstery with red stitching, a Black Spun Aluminum shift dial, and a Radical Red bezel shared with the Wrangler Rubicon.
At launch, the 2026 Cherokee Overland started at $45,995 with destination, so the Trailhawk undercuts it by $1,370. Jeep hasn't published 2027 pricing for the rest of the lineup, so that gap could change.
Three option packages are offered: Sun and Sound, with a dual-pane sunroof and Alpine audio; a trailering package that unlocks the Cherokee's 3,500-pound tow rating; and the Advanced Pro Tech Group, with ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, camera washers, and a 360-degree camera. Package prices haven't been announced.
When you can get one
Orders are open now, and production starts later this year at Stellantis' Toluca Assembly Complex in Mexico, which already builds the regular Cherokee. Jeep hasn't given a delivery date, a curb weight, or acceleration figures.
The Cherokee isn't the only Jeep reviving the badge for 2027. The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk also returns this model year, joining the retro-themed Wrangler JL-2A among the brand's new arrivals.
