Jeep Cherokee

What is the Jeep Cherokee?

The Cherokee is a Jeep SUV with a more compact, everyday footprint than the Grand Cherokee. The original XJ paired a practical body with Jeep’s four-wheel-drive heritage and helped establish the Cherokee’s place in the brand’s range. Later generations carried the name into new designs and markets.

The Cherokee’s shape changed over time. The XJ had a boxy, compact form, while the later KL adopted a more contemporary crossover design. The KL was the first Jeep to use the Compact U.S. Wide platform, developed jointly by Chrysler and Fiat.

Cherokee generations

The generations are XJ (1984–2001), KJ (2002–2007), KK (2008–2012) and KL (2014–2023). The KJ replaced the XJ, followed by the more upright KK. The KL brought a more contemporary interpretation of the Cherokee. In North America, the KJ and KK were sold as the Liberty, while the Cherokee name was used in Europe.

Engines and fuel consumption

The Cherokee’s powertrain range has varied by market and generation. EU figures span engines from 2.0 to 6.4 litres and outputs from 103 kW (140 PS) to 344 kW (468 PS). Listed fuels include petrol, diesel, LPG and E85 flex-fuel in some markets. US figures include hybrid versions, while Canadian figures list petrol and E85 flex-fuel.

The lowest listed EU consumption is 8.1 L/100 km on WLTP. The UK and France figures list a low of 5.3 L/100 km on NEDC. In the USA, the best combined EPA rating is 37 MPG; Canada’s lowest listed figure is 6.3 L/100 km on the NRCan 5-cycle test. These results reflect different procedures—WLTP and NEDC in Europe, EPA in the USA and 5-cycle in Canada—and are not directly comparable.

Where was the Cherokee sold?

The Cherokee name has been used in North America and Europe, though some generations had different names by region. EU registration figures span 2010–2021 and total 76,812 vehicles. Among the listed annual results, the 2.0-litre diesel rated at 125 kW (170 PS) led in 2014 and 2015; a 2.2-litre diesel rated at 147 kW (200 PS) led in 2016.