Iconic Jeep Cherokee is dead after 49 years

After nearly five decades, the iconic Jeep Cherokee is dead.

It’s a sad day for car fans as we lose yet another ‘OG’ of the automotive world.

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The Jeep Cherokee was unveiled in 1974 as a two-door alternative to the Wagoneer.

Marketed as Jeep Liberty in the US and Jeep Cherokee everywhere else, the mid-size SUV remained in production until this year.

With over three million units sold, this will always be one of Jeep’s most successful nameplates ever.

The Cherokee / Liberty is probably collateral damage of the brand’s transition towards electrification.

Rebranding iconic models to sell them as EVs doesn’t always work, which for example is what Ford is doing with the Mustang.

Furthermore, sales of the Jeep Cherokee have been plummeting for years, and it was becoming difficult for Stellantis – Jeep’s parent company – to justify its production.

For that reason, the fifth and current generation Cherokee / Liberty will be the last.

And the bad news doesn’t end there, because it’s unclear what Jeep intends to do with the Cherokee’s big brother, the Grand Cherokee.

There’s been some controversy surrounding the name in the US, which also happens to be the most important market for this vehicle.

Sooner or later, Jeep will likely find itself at a crossroads.

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At some point in the not too distant future, Stellantis will probably have to decide whether they want to rebrand the Jeep Grand Cherokee to sell it as an EV or a hybrid, or whether they want to scrap the model altogether.

In the meantime, the only thing we can do is say our goodbyes to the Cherokee.