Jeep Cherokee officially discontinued after 49 years of production

Jeep though will continue to sell the SUV's larger sibling, the Grand Cherokee.

According to a media report, Jeep has confirmed that the Cherokee has officially been discontinued. The SUV is one of the brand's most popular models and has been in production for 49 years.

Jeep started production of the Cherokee in 1974 as a 2-door SUV based on the brand's Wagoneer model. The SUV switched to a unibody platform in 1984, becoming a smash hit with over 3 million sold. The Cherokee was manufactured in the USA until 2001, after which its licence-built versions were made in China till 2014. Reports state that the Cherokee served as a template for most modern unibody SUVs & helped popularise the body style.

Stellantis, which owns the Jeep brand, idled the Illinois plant where the Cherokee was made. A spokesperson from Stellantis also confirmed that while Jeep will have a presence in the midsize SUV segment, the new model might not bear the Cherokee name.

Jeep though will continue to sell the SUV's larger sibling, the Grand Cherokee, which will carry forward the name for now.

Source: TheDrive