Generation history
The Jeep Cherokee has been through 6 generations, starting in 1974, 1984, 2002, 2008, 2014 and 2026. The gaps were 10, 18, 6, 6, 12 years, an average of 10.4. Some of those waits were long. The current generation began in 2026. On that cadence the next full redesign points to 2035 through 2037, centered on 2036. This is a projection. It comes from the model's own past redesign years, not from the manufacturer. A mid-cycle refresh usually lands in between. Public records describe the current generation this way: Jeep revived the Cherokee for a sixth generation (KM) in August 2025. Specifications, trims and the NHTSA safety record are on the Jeep Cherokee model page.
Every generation
| Generation | Code | Years | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| First generation | SJ | 1974–1984 | The first generation Cherokee was a rebadged reintroduction of a two-door body style Jeep Wagoneer. |
| Second generation | XJ | 1984–2002 | While the full-sized Wagoneer continued production for another eight years as the Grand Wagoneer, the Cherokee nameplate was moved to a new platform starting with the 1984 model year and continuing through 2001. |
| Third generation | KJ | 2002–2008 | The third generation, marketed as the Jeep Liberty in North America to differentiate it from the Grand Cherokee, was introduced in April 2001 for the 2002 model year. |
| Fourth generation | KK | 2008–2014 | Continuing to be marketed as the Jeep Liberty in North America, the Cherokee was redesigned in 2008. |
| Fifth generation | KL | 2014–2026 | For the fifth generation, the Cherokee nameplate returned to North America as the vehicle was converted to a crossover and grew to midsize to make room for the Jeep Renegade below the Cherokee and Compass. |
| Sixth generation | KM | 2026–present | Jeep revived the Cherokee for a sixth generation (KM) in August 2025. |
The Jeep Cherokee spent 10.4 years per generation on average. The current one is 0 years old. Treat 2035 to 2037 as a range, not a date.
Source: Jeep Cherokee (Wikipedia). The estimate is our arithmetic on those start years.
Open the Jeep Cherokee model page for specifications, trims, safety record and answers.
In more detail
The first generation Cherokee was a rebadged reintroduction of a two-door body style Jeep Wagoneer. It featured a redesigned greenhouse that eliminated the car's C-pillar. Instead, the Cherokee had a much broader D-pillar and a single, long fixed rear side window with an optional flip-out section. A two-door version was previously available in the Jeep Wagoneer line (from 1963 through 1967).
While the full-sized Wagoneer continued production for another eight years as the Grand Wagoneer, the Cherokee nameplate was moved to a new platform starting with the 1984 model year and continuing through 2001. Without a traditional body-on-frame chassis, the Cherokee instead featured a lightweight unibody design. This generation of Cherokee would eventually be well known as the innovator of the modern SUV, as it spawned competitors, and other automakers noticed that this Jeep design began replacing regular cars.
The third generation, marketed as the Jeep Liberty in North America to differentiate it from the Grand Cherokee, was introduced in April 2001 for the 2002 model year. It was sold as the Jeep Cherokee in markets outside of North America. The Cherokee was priced between the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. It remained the smallest of the four-door Jeep SUVs until the crossover-based four-door Compass and Patriot were introduced for the 2007 model year.
Continuing to be marketed as the Jeep Liberty in North America, the Cherokee was redesigned in 2008. For the first time, a rebadged fourth-generation Cherokee was marketed by Dodge as the Nitro. The Nitro was discontinued after 2011, and Sergio Marchionne wanted to avoid duplicate vehicles with Dodge and Jeep (as well as Chrysler) sharing the same sales network. The four-cylinder engine was dropped from the Cherokee's models because the smaller Patriot and Compass offered greater fuel efficiency.
For the fifth generation, the Cherokee nameplate returned to North America as the vehicle was converted to a crossover and grew to midsize to make room for the Jeep Renegade below the Cherokee and Compass. It was introduced for the 2014 model year at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, with sales starting in November 2013. The Cherokee is the first Jeep vehicle to be built on the Fiat Compact/Compact U.S. Wide platform, co-developed by Chrysler and Fiat.
Jeep revived the Cherokee for a sixth generation (KM) in August 2025. It is based on the STLA Large Transverse platform. It was launched with a 1.6-liter Stellantis Prince engine EP6CDTX turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain only, with the potential for a gasoline ICE-only model later, possibly the 2.0 L Hurricane 4 EVO Turbo-I4 in late 2026 for the 2027 model year.
Generation notes adapted from Jeep Cherokee (Wikipedia).
Today's Jeep Cherokee
NHTSA rated the 2023 Jeep Cherokee overall 4 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.