Hitched behind a properly equipped 2027 Jeep Cherokee, a trailer can weigh up to 3,500 lbs. Around Lubbock, that might mean a small smoker trailer rolling out to a weekend barbecue cook-off. Factory towing hardware is packaged as the Trailer-Tow Group, which buyers can add to a Laredo, a Limited, a Limited Altitude or an Overland. The Trailhawk reaches its rating with a separate optional trailering package.

Riders, bags, coolers and accessories all come out of the payload rating, so tally everything before a long run toward Midland. Jeep rates the Cherokee and Laredo, both Limited models and the Overland to carry up to 850 lbs when properly equipped, against a 5,350-lb gross vehicle weight rating, and each added option reduces what is left. On the Trailhawk, Jeep's payload estimate is up to 800 lbs, properly equipped.

• Pulls up to 3,500 lbs, properly equipped
• Payload reaches up to 850 lbs, properly equipped (Trailhawk estimate 800)
• 5,350-lb gross vehicle weight rating (Trailhawk estimate 5,500)
• Laredo, Limited, Limited Altitude and Overland offer the Trailer-Tow Group
• Trailhawk pairs its tow rating with an optional trailering package

Four of the six trims reach up to 3,500 lbs, properly equipped, via a single factory option. Laredo through Overland trims of the 2027 Jeep Cherokee offer it as a five-piece Trailer-Tow Group: 7-pin and 4-pin wiring, a Class III receiver hitch, a compact spare tire, Trailer-Hitch Zoom and Blind Spot Monitoring with Trailer Detection. Standard from the Cherokee trim to the Overland are three towing aids: Hill Start Assist, Trailer Sway Damping and Rough-Road Cruise Control, the last of which Jeep says eases slow-speed trailer maneuvering.

Rated at a combined 210 hp and 230 lb-ft, the hybrid pairs a turbocharged 1.6-liter four with two electric motors, and an electronic variable transmission manages the power flow. On the Trailhawk, Active Drive II adds a two-speed PTU (2.92:1 low range) plus a rear axle that locks electronically, and Selec-Terrain gains Rock mode. Active Drive I covers the other five trims, staying in front-drive for efficiency and calling on the rear axle automatically, with Auto, Sport, Snow and Sand/Mud settings.

• Turbo hybrid output totals 210 hp and 230 lb-ft
• Trailer-Tow Group brings a Class III receiver hitch
• Rough-Road Cruise Control for slow-speed trailer maneuvering
• Automatic rear-axle disconnect with Active Drive I
• Trailhawk crawl ratio of 37.5:1 in low range

Dorm move-in at Texas Tech fills a cargo area quickly with storage bins, bedding and a mini fridge. The 2027 Jeep Cherokee gives its five non-Trailhawk trims 33.6 cu ft of space behind the second row, a 30% cargo gain over the previous-generation Cherokee by Jeep's count. Lowering both 60/40 sections of the rear seat raises that figure to 68.3 cu ft. Jeep lists 29.5 cu ft behind the Trailhawk's rear seat and 62.2 cu ft with it folded.

Five seats come in every trim, two up front and three in the second row. The five non-Trailhawk trims include a rear center armrest with cupholders and a cargo area with a 12-volt power outlet, tie-down loops and LED lighting. Either Limited model adds a height-adjustable power liftgate, and the Overland and Trailhawk make it hands-free with a foot-activated design.

• 33.6 cu ft behind the second row (Trailhawk 29.5)
• Folded rear seat opens 68.3 cu ft (Trailhawk 62.2)
• Rear center armrest with cupholders
• Tie-down loops, LED lighting and a 12-volt outlet in back
• Overhead sunglasses storage and front door bins