STLA One to underpin next Jeep Cherokee

STELLANTIS has confirmed the next-generation Jeep Cherokee will become the first vehicle built in the United States on its new STLA One global architecture, providing an early indication of how the automotive giant intends to dramatically simplify its sprawling platform portfolio.

Production of the new Cherokee is scheduled to commence at Stellantis’ reopened Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois (US) in the second half of 2029, with pilot production beginning during the first half of 2028.

The timing means the recently introduced Cherokee – which only reached North American showrooms this year – will have an unusually short production run before making way for its STLA One-based successor.

The current model is manufactured in Mexico on the larger STLA Large architecture and is offered exclusively with a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid powertrain producing 157kW.

It was introduced for the 2026 model year after a hiatus for the Cherokee nameplate and starts from $US35,000 ($A53,600) before destination charges. Jeep claims combined consumption of 6.4L/100km and a driving range of more than 805km.

However, its replacement is arguably less important for what sits on top of the architecture than for what sits underneath it.

Unveiled in May this year as a cornerstone of Stellantis’ FaSTLAne 2030 turnaround strategy, STLA One is intended to consolidate five existing architectures into a single highly modular platform covering B-, C-, and D-segment vehicles.

Stellantis says the architecture will eventually underpin more than 30 models and more than two million vehicles annually by 2035, while targeting a 20 per cent improvement in cost efficiency through greater component commonality, simplified manufacturing, and a more flexible battery strategy.

By 2030, the company expects half of its global annual production to be based on just three global architectures, with component reuse of up to 70 per cent.

STLA One is central to that target and, unlike an EV-specific skateboard architecture, has been developed from the outset to accommodate internal combustion, hybrid, and battery-electric drivetrains without forcing each configuration to carry the packaging or weight compromises of the others.

Stellantis North American product planning boss Tom Sacoman described the architecture as using modular front, centre, and rear sections, with the centre module adaptable according to powertrain requirements.

For electric applications, STLA One will be capable of supporting an 800-volt electrical architecture, while Stellantis also plans greater use of lower-cost lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and cell-to-body battery integration.

It will additionally become the first Stellantis platform designed to integrate the company’s STLA Brain centralised electronics architecture, STLA SmartCockpit interface and steer-by-wire technology.

The first STLA One vehicles are scheduled to appear in 2027, but the Cherokee will serve as the architecture’s US manufacturing debut.

Stellantis has increased its investment in Belvidere from the previously announced $US600 million ($A919m) to more than $US800 million ($A1.23b), with upgrades covering stamping, body, paint, and general assembly operations.

The Illinois factory was idled in February 2023 following the end of production of the previous Cherokee but will be reconfigured to manufacture vehicles using different powertrain types across two shifts.

The decision also fits Stellantis’ push to reduce its exposure to US tariffs.

Chief executive Antonio Filosa told analysts following the company’s first-half results that the existing Mexican-built Cherokee remained heavily exposed to tariffs, adding that returning Cherokee production to Belvidere would make the model effectively free of most of that burden.

“Launching the next-generation Cherokee on STLA One allows us to deliver a more competitive product while leveraging the strength of our US manufacturing operations,” said Mr Filosa.

Belvidere is also expected to manufacture the next-generation Jeep Compass, extending the plant’s role beyond Cherokee and providing Stellantis with greater flexibility to shift production according to demand and powertrain mix.

The move forms part of the broader €60 billion ($A107b) FaSTLAne 2030 investment program unveiled in May, which will deliver more than 60 new vehicles and around 50 significant model updates before the end of the decade.

More than €24 billion ($A42.8b) is earmarked for global platforms, powertrains and technology, while approximately 60 per cent of Stellantis’ brand and product investment will be directed towards North America.

Jeep, Ram, Peugeot, and Fiat have been identified as Stellantis’ four global brands with the strongest scale and profit potential and will receive priority access to common global technologies and architectures.

For Jeep, STLA One could ultimately provide the architecture needed to broaden electrified offerings without committing individual model lines exclusively to battery power – an increasingly important consideration as Stellantis reshapes its product strategy around customer demand rather than predetermined EV targets.

No powertrain, dimensional or design details have yet been released for the 2029 Cherokee, and Stellantis has not confirmed which propulsion systems will be offered.

Likewise, there is no confirmation that either the current US-market Cherokee or its STLA One successor will be sold in Australia.

Jeep Australia’s current model range comprises the Avenger, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, and Gladiator, with the battery-electric Recon confirmed as a forthcoming addition.