The latest-generation Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk once again sports a Trail Rated badge.
From the outset, this new Jeep Cherokee has been an efficient hybrid SUV for the brand. But off-road capable? Well…at least from our initial testing, not so much. Now Jeep has an answer to those wanting some more off-road cred, with the 2027 Cherokee Trailhawk. We’ve known this model is coming for awhile, but now we have the official specs as the production model makes its debut Wednesday.
So, what do you get? The 2027 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk fundamentally looks similar to the rest of the Cherokee range, as you’d expect. However, it gets a new front fascia, the proper red-painted recovery hooks, a one-inch suspension lift and 17-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires. Underneath you get more underbody protection, while the rear bumper has also been reshaped to improve departure along with approach angles.
Jeep says it tested the new Cherokee Trailhawk in appropriately harsh environments to earn its vaunted Trail Rated badge, including Utah’s Sand Hollow and the trails around Moab.
To that end, this new model gets an approach angle of 28.8 degrees, a departure angle of 31.8 degrees and a ramp breakover angle of 21.9 degrees. You’re not looking at a Wrangler’s worth of specs on that front, but that is significantly better than other unibody SUVs in its class like the Honda Passport TrailSport. The Trailhawk also gets a decent 9 inches of ground clearance, as well as two feet of water fording capability.
Under the hood, the 2027 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk is not packing a different powertrain to the original, as I thought it might. Jeep is indeed sticking with the 1.6-liter-backed hybrid system, which puts out 210 horsepower and 230 lb-ft of torque. It does get the brand’s more advanced Active Drive II four-wheel drive system, though, bringing a low-range transfer case with a 2.92 low-range ratio and 37.5:1 crawl ratio. Considering the Limited we tested didn’t even have a two-speed transfer case, that should be a big improvement right there. To that, Jeep’s Selec-Terrain in the Cherokee Trailhawk also includes Rock mode, in addition to Auto/Sport/Snow and Sand/Mud modes.
The 2027 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk starts at $44,625 including an admittedly steep $1,995 destination fee. With that hit to your bank account, you can expect all the gear I mentioned earlier, as well as more comfort features like power heated seats for both driver and front passenger, a heated steering wheel, a foot-activated power liftgate and memory functionality for the seats and mirrors. Optional equipment includes a trailering package bringing the towing capacity up to 3,500 pounds, the Sun and Sound package with a dual-pane sunroof and Alpine sound system, and an Advanced Pro Tech Group with ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a 360-degree camera system and front and rear camera washers.
The 2027 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk goes into production before the end of the year, so production units will probably hit dealerships right around the holidays, and get on the ground on larger numbers early next year. That said, you can put in your order for a Cherokee Trailhawk right now.
