Jeep is busy changing some of its older models with new ones that might be electric. When the brand introduced the new Wagoneer S EV, it also talked about one of its goals: making a large SUV that will likely replace the Cherokee when it dies. Even though all the talk has been about all-electric powertrains, Jeep has said that its next-generation car will still use internal combustion engines, at least at first. Jeep said that this likely midsize SUV would cost less than $40,000, but they wouldn’t say what it was called, telling the media that we “could probably guess what it will be called.” Not to mention where the new two-row Grand Cherokee starts, which is about where the old Cherokee stopped. When asked if this car would only run on electricity, Antonio Filosa, CEO of Jeep, said, “No.” “Not right away.” However, there will be many powertrain choices, so at first, both gasoline-powered and hybrid cars may be offered. As was already said, Filosa thinks the market will have access to other choices. The company has already filled an EV gap for the next four years, so the next-generation Cherokee won’t have to do that. In addition to the brand-new Wagoneer S, Jeep is also working on the fully electric Recon and, according to Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, a $25,000 electric car that will be ready “very soon.” Notably, we should have talked about the second one at our meeting. Filosa says that this midsize Jeep will start being made in the second half of 2025. We can wait for it. It makes sense to make plans for the model year 2026. Filosa has also hinted that a hybrid option might be possible because the Recon’s base can be expanded. However, he had earlier said that the Wagoneer S would only be battery-electric. There is, in fact, “freedom of choice” when it comes to engines.
