Next-Gen Jeep Cherokee Coming in 2029, Will Be Built on New STLA One Platform at Belvidere

Next-Gen Jeep Cherokee Set for 2029 Launch at Belvidere Plant

Stellantis has confirmed that the next-generation Jeep Cherokee will be the first vehicle built in the United States on the automaker’s new STLA One global platform, with production centred at the long-idled Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois. The announcement gives long-awaited clarity to a factory that has sat dormant since February 2023, when the previous-generation Cherokee was discontinued.

Belvidere Investment Rises to Over $800 Million

Stellantis now plans to invest more than $800 million in the Belvidere facility, an increase of roughly $200 million over the $600 million commitment it made in October 2025. More than $60 million has already gone toward upgrading the plant’s stamping, body, paint and general-assembly operations, with further work planned through the rest of the year. The plant is being prepared to run two shifts and build every powertrain variant of the upcoming SUV.

Timeline: Pilot Production in 2028, Retail Models in 2029

According to the automaker, pilot production of the Belvidere-built Cherokee is expected to begin in the first half of 2028, with retail production targeted for the second half of 2029. That timeline means the current sixth-generation Cherokee, which only returned for the 2026 model year with a hybrid-only powertrain, will have a notably short four-year run before being replaced.

What Is the STLA One Platform?

STLA One is Stellantis’ new modular global architecture, unveiled in May 2026 as the manufacturing centrepiece of the company’s five-year FaSTLAne 2030 strategy, a plan built around roughly €60 billion in spending aimed at restoring profitability through leaner engineering and shared components. The platform is designed to underpin more than 30 models worldwide by 2035, cutting engineering complexity while allowing flexibility across body styles and powertrains, including electrified options.

Stellantis CEO and North America COO Antonio Filosa framed the decision as a deliberate one, saying the move to STLA One lets the company “deliver a more competitive product” while leaning on its US manufacturing base. Belvidere is also expected to build the Jeep Compass alongside the new Cherokee, although the automaker has not confirmed a firm timeline for that model.

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What It Means for Belvidere Workers

The Belvidere plant’s reopening has been a point of tension between Stellantis and the United Auto Workers since the 2023 idling, which affected thousands of jobs. Stellantis says it will continue supplemental unemployment benefits and healthcare coverage for affected employees during the extended transition, and has also committed to addressing pension credits and wage-linked benefit increases tied to the union’s 2023 contract. The broader investment forms part of a wider $13 billion commitment to expand US manufacturing operations over the next several years.

Why This Matters for SUV Buyers

For shoppers, the news signals that Jeep’s compact SUV lineup is entering a rapid transition period. The next Cherokee will be one of the first American-market Jeep products built on a platform engineered from the ground up for flexibility between combustion, hybrid and fully electric powertrains, which could open the door to new variants down the line. Until then, the current 2026 Cherokee, powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid setup built with Toyota-sourced hybrid technology, remains the only version in showrooms.

With Belvidere now assigned a confirmed product for the first time in years, Stellantis appears to be using the Cherokee relaunch as a proving ground for its broader North American manufacturing reset — one that industry watchers and UAW leadership alike will be following closely as 2028 approaches.

Source Name : MotorTrend, WardsAuto, Car and Driver

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