Jeep returns at NYIAS

Jeep used the 2026 New York International Auto Show to put two very different bets on stage: a revived Cherokee hybrid for the middle of the market and a new electric Recon at the top end. (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com) The 2026 Cherokee starts at $36,995 including destination, and Jeep says the midsize sport utility vehicle uses a new 1.6-liter turbo-four hybrid system rated at an estimated 37 miles per gallon combined with more than 500 miles of range. (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com) The 2026 Recon starts at $65,000, and Jeep says the all-electric sport utility vehicle makes 650 horsepower, 620 pound-feet of torque and up to 250 miles of estimated range, with 0 to 60 miles per hour in as little as 3.6 seconds. (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com) Jeep is marking its 85th anniversary this year, and the New York show gave the brand a place to tie that milestone to two gaps in its lineup: Cherokee returned after Jeep ended the previous generation in 2023, and Recon gives Jeep a battery-electric off-road model in the United States. (jeep.com) (caranddriver.com) (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com) The Cherokee matters inside Stellantis because midsize sport utility vehicles are one of North America’s biggest volume segments, and Jeep’s own launch materials say the new model is aimed at “taking back our place” there. (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com) The Recon is aimed at a different problem. Jeep has been promising battery-electric models for years, and the Recon arrives as the brand’s first fully electric Trail Rated sport utility vehicle with removable doors, swing-gate glass and rear quarter glass. (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com) Jeep first showed the Recon as a concept in 2022, alongside a broader plan to launch four battery-electric vehicles in North America and Europe by the end of 2025. The production version now shown by Stellantis keeps the open-air design cues that made the concept read like an electric cousin to the Wrangler. (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com) (motortrend.com) The Cherokee is the more conventional product. Jeep’s retail site lists Laredo, Limited and Overland trims, and the company says every 2026 Cherokee uses the same hybrid powertrain rather than offering a separate gasoline-only base engine. (jeep.com) (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com) The Recon carries the bigger performance headline, but its estimated 250-mile range also shows the tradeoff Jeep is making between off-road hardware, removable body pieces and battery efficiency. MotorTrend said the vehicle looks “as close to an electric Wrangler as we’re gonna get for a while.” (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com) (motortrend.com) What happens next is straightforward: the Cherokee is already arriving at dealerships, while Stellantis says Recon production begins in early 2026 with initial United States launches after that. (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com 1) (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com 2)