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The 2027 Jeep Cherokee has finally earned its “Trail-Rated” badge with the introduction of a Trailhawk. Once upon a time, Jeeps held virtually indefensible positions at the top of their respective segments when it came to off-road capability. These days, the 4×4-adjacent space is much more crowded, and simply wearing a Jeep badge isn’t a guarantee of automatic victory anymore.
Given that the new Cherokee shares its basic formula with the model it replaced, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that the new car isn’t exactly a quantum leap forward in capability. That said, the new midsizer does have a couple of tricks up its sleeve. It offers 9.0 inches of ground clearance thanks to a 1.0-inch lift over the standard Cherokee, and according to Jeep, it can ford 24 inches of water.
But the real party piece is Jeep’s “Active Drive II” all-wheel-drive system, which incorporates a two-speed transfer case and an electronic locking rear differential. The former is a segment exclusive, and Ford is the only competitor with a mechanical locking rear axle.
Year/Make/ModelGround ClearanceApproach AngleBreakover AngleDeparture AngleLow RangeLocking Rear2027 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk9.0 in28.8°21.9°31.8°YesYes2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness9.3 in23.5°21.0°25.5°NoNo2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport8.2 in17.7°N/A*22.1°NoNo2026 Toyota RAV4 Adventure8.5 in20.0°N/A*24.0°NoNo2026 Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch8.7 in31.2°21.7°27.9°NoYes
*Breakover angle is not published officially by Honda or Toyota for these trim levels.
On paper, Jeep is clearly aiming for a segment-best entry here. The Bronco Sport brings similar mechanical capability (and even has the advantage in approach angle) but lacks a proper crawl ratio. Subaru enjoys an advantage in ground clearance, but relies on its fairly rudimentary X-Drive programming for the technical bits.
We’ll have to see exactly how this plays out in the real world, especially since one of Jeep’s main drawbacks doesn’t appear here: size. The Cherokee leans toward the midsize space much the same way the Compass leans subcompact, and that extra length and width will work against it when trails get tight.
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Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories.
