Jeep has begun reducing trim options for the Cherokee lineup and, in 2023, will offer only two: the Altitude Lux and Trailhawk. The decision comes shortly before the automaker idles its Belvidere, Illinois, plant, where the compact SUV is currently built.
With that decision, Jeep will drop the X and the Limited trims for 2023, and pricing will take a big jump, reports Car and Driver. The base Altitude Lux model will now start at $39,290, which an increase of $4,395 over the same model in 2022.
The Trailhawk, meanwhile, will start at $42,890, which is a $5,345 increase over the same model last year, and a $3,545 jump over the Limited, which was formerly the top-of-the-line trim. It will, however, get new standard equipment, including automatic high beams, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a security alarm, and a universal garage door opener.
Read: Stellantis To Indefinitely Idle Jeep Cherokee Plant, UAW Calls Move “Unacceptable”
The Cherokee Altitude Lux will be powered by Jeep’s 2.4-liter inline four, which makes 180 hp (134 kW/182 PS) and 171 lb-ft (232 Nm) of torque. The Cherokee Trailhawk, meanwhile, gets the smaller, but mightier turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, which makes 270 hp (201 kW/274 PS) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque.
The decision to simplify the Cherokee lineup follows reports from December that Jeep would idle its Belvidere plant in February, 2023. Reuters, at the time, quoted UAW sources, who said that Cherokee production would be moved to Stellantis’ Toluca, Mexico, plant, which currently makes the Jeep Compass.
That move, in combination with the Cherokee’s age (it was first introduced in 2014), have prompted rumors suggesting that a successor to the model will be coming soon. Indeed, the model’s sales dropped significantly in 2022.
Jeep managed to move just 40,322 Cherokees in America last year, according to data compiled by goodcarbadcar.net. That was less than half as many as it managed to sell in 2021, and less than a fifth as many as the larger and more expensive Grand Cherokee.
Although that all suggests that it’s time for a change, a Jeep spokesperson told Car and Driver that the Cherokee’s “segment is very important to us, and we plan to stay committed to it long-term.”
Whether it keeps its familiar drivetrain, though, or is replaced by an all-electric model remains to be seen.
