Twenty-four inches of water is the number Jeep put at the top of the 2027 Cherokee Trailhawk’s résumé. The new off-road trim pairs that fording rating with a 3,500-pound towing capacity and a 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid rated at 210 horsepower. Jeep lists the starting price at $44,625, a figure that includes a $1,995 destination charge.
The Trailhawk is Jeep’s off-road answer for the hybrid Cherokee, built on the 1.6-liter powertrain that arrived with the 2026 model. Jeep pitches it as a trim that blends 4×4 off-road capability with hybrid efficiency. Every figure that follows comes from the company’s own releases, not from independent testing.
Jeep laid out the specifications in a Stellantis media release datelined Auburn Hills, Michigan, Sept. 30, 2026. The release states that the Cherokee Trailhawk “is also the only SUV in its class to offer a water fording rating depth of 24 inches.” The trim carries Jeep’s Trail Rated badge, which the company says it earned through its own off-road testing.
The 1.6-liter turbo hybrid under the Trailhawk
The powertrain is the same family Jeep introduced with the 2026 Cherokee. In its powertrain press kit dated Aug. 21, 2025, Stellantis described a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 177 horsepower working with a two-motor hybrid transmission, for a combined system output of 210 horsepower and 230 lb.-ft. of torque. A 1.03-kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery feeds the electric side, and the system needs no plug.
The Trailhawk release keeps the 210-horsepower figure. It gives an estimated 31 mpg combined for the off-road trim. The same August 2025 press kit quoted an estimated 37 mpg combined for the 2026 Cherokee, a gap of six mpg between the two on Jeep’s own estimates.
Low range, lift and armor
Behind those numbers is the drivetrain. Per the Sept. 30 release, the Trailhawk uses Jeep Active Drive II four-wheel drive with an electronic locking rear axle and a two-speed power transfer unit that Jeep calls class-exclusive. The low range ratio is 2.92, and the crawl ratio is 37.5:1. Five Selec-Terrain modes cover Auto, Sport, Snow, Sand/Mud and Rock, and Jeep claims a 45-point improvement in Ramp Travel Index, a measure of suspension articulation, over other Cherokee models.
Jeep lists the geometry as follows:
- Approach angle: 28.8 degrees
- Departure angle: 31.8 degrees
- Ramp breakover angle: 21.9 degrees
- Ground clearance: 9 inches, including a 1-inch lift
- Tires: Nexen Rodian ATX all-terrains, 245/65R17, on 17-inch wheels
Underneath, the release says standard steel skid plates protect the front axle, wiring and fuel tank, with a separate protection plate for the hybrid battery.
Jeep brand CEO Branden Coté framed the trim around that testing. “Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk is the real deal, and earned its Trail Rated badge through a gauntlet of testing scenarios,” Coté said in the version of the release distributed through PR Newswire. The release does not publish the individual Trail Rated test results.
Where the $44,625 sits
The price places the Trailhawk inside the Cherokee’s existing spread. When Jeep introduced the 2026 Cherokee on Aug. 21, 2025, its launch release priced the 2026 Cherokee lineup from $36,995 for the base model through $39,995 for the Laredo, $42,495 for the Limited and $45,995 for the Overland, all including destination. Those are 2026 model-year figures; the Trailhawk is a 2027 model, and Jeep’s Sept. 30 release does not restate pricing for the other trims.
Inside, the Trailhawk gets Mantis Green upholstery with red accent stitching, red front and rear tow hooks, gloss-black fascias, LED lighting, power heated seats, a heated steering wheel and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, according to the release.
Jeep says production will begin later in 2026 at Stellantis’ Toluca Assembly Complex in Mexico, the same plant that builds the 2026 Cherokee. The 24-inch fording rating, the 3,500-pound tow rating and the 31 mpg estimate remain the company’s figures until production units reach owners and independent testers.
Top image: A 2026 Jeep Cherokee Laredo. The 2027 Trailhawk trim is not shown. Image Credit: HJUdall — CC0 / Wikimedia Commons
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Combat Rated editors prior to publication.