Don’t strain yourself too much looking for fundamental changes to the 2022 Jeep Cherokee.
When you’re simply looking at the brand’s mid-range SUV, you’ll notice no mechanical or styling changes. The Cherokee KL saw a refresh for the 2019 model year, and Jeep seems pretty happy with it — to the point that it’s rolling along through this new model year. What has changed, though, are the trim levels. You may welcome that, as last year’s version saw no fewer than nine different models. The Latitude, the Freedom, the Latitude Plus, the 80th Anniversary, the Limited, the Trailhawk, the High Altitude…yeah, shopping for one of Jeep’s crossovers can get a bit confusing.
The 2022 Jeep Cherokee, on the other hand, only has four trims (for now, lest we see more special editions in the coming months). You can still get the same 3.2-liter V6 as before, as well as a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder on two models. The major change centers around the Cherokee ‘X’, which replaces most of the down-range trims and serves as the new entry point. If you’re looking for a sub-$30,000 Cherokee, though, you’ll be disappointed to see that the starting price has now jumped up to a whopping $35,590, including Stellantis’ $1,595 destination fee.
More on the Cherokee X
That is substantially more expensive than last year — $5,860 higher, in fact. However, this trim shuffling means you get much more standard equipment for the money. Not only do you get standard all-wheel drive and a special graphics package, but you get an 8.4-inch infotainment display with Uconnect 4C and SiriusXM satellite radio connectivity as well. Last year’s entry-level Latitude model, by comparison, made do with a 7-inch screen backed by the more spartan Uconnect 4.
17-inch black wheels come standard on the Cherokee X, as do the same Firestone Destination A/T tires you’d get on the more off-road capable Trailhawk. With an extra inch of ground clearance, the X is meant to offer a helping of Trailhawk-like capability, while still coming in at a lower price: similar to what the Wrangler Willys offers in comparison to the top-dog Rubicon.
There’s one catch, should you want to stick with the X model. Stellantis says it’s “late availability”, so it may be a little while before you can actually get your hands on one.
Other 2022 Jeep Cherokee changes
The other three trims will be familiar: Latitude Lux, Trailhawk and Limited. The latter two retain similar feature sets, though Jeep has shifted their pricing to space them out from the two lower trims. The Latitude Lux, for its part, is the only Cherokee this year that comes with a front-wheel drive option, and it starts at the same $35,590 as the X. You can get the Latitude Lux with all-wheel drive, though that increases the price to $37,090.
For that cash, you now get a power liftgate, 7-inch TFT instrument cluster display, dual-zone climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a security alarm, a universal garage door opener and a 115-volt power outlet. Both the Trailhawk and Limited also get the larger driving display, while the X retains a smaller 3.5-inch unit in the gauge cluster.
The Latitude Lux gets the 2.0-liter turbo engine as an option (with 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque) for an additional $695, as does the high-end Limited.
If you prefer the Cherokee Trailhawk, that comes in at $38,640 this year. Topping out the range, the Limited comes to $40,340 with the 3.2-liter V6 (plus $695, like the Latitude Lux, if you want the four-pot instead). All Cherokees, no matter which engine you have, use a 9-speed automatic transmission, just like before.
2022 Jeep Cherokee models are up on the brand’s online configurator now.
