--- title: "2027 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Puts Bronco Sport Sasquatch On Notice" date: "2026-09-30" modified: "2026-09-30" authors: - name: "Byron Hurd" job_title: "Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/byron-hurd.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/2027-jeep-cherokee-trailhawk-puts-bronco-sport-sasquatch-on-notice" categories: - "Jeep News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Jeep Cherokee" - "Off-Road" - "suv/crossover" --- # 2027 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Puts Bronco Sport Sasquatch On Notice ![2027 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk]() 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 4x4-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/Model | Ground Clearance | Approach Angle | Breakover Angle | Departure Angle | Low Range | Locking Rear | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2027 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk | 9.0 in | 28.8° | 21.9° | 31.8° | **Yes** | **Yes** | | 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness | 9.3 in | 23.5° | 21.0° | 25.5° | No | No | | 2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport | 8.2 in | 17.7° | *N/A\** | 22.1° | No | No | | 2026 Toyota RAV4 Adventure | 8.5 in | 20.0° | *N/A\** | 24.0° | No | No | | 2026 Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch | 8.7 in | 31.2° | 21.7° | 27.9° | No | **Yes** | \**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. *Have a story lead? Let us know at tips@thedrive.com!* ## Author Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories. He brings a light, punchy style to all of his content, believing that there's plenty out there to be laughed at—himself included. Born and raised in Maryland but now based just a stone's throw from Detroit, Byron is an auto enthusiast and generalist who enjoys building and tinkering with things of all kinds, from cars, computers and digital cityscapes, to the new garage that will soon house his fleet (a CT4-V Blackwing, a JK Wrangler and an NA Miata). Inspired by an early love of rollercoasters, Byron quickly caught the high-performance driving itch. He's been tracking and auto-crossing his cars since 2007. In his downtime, Byron enjoys reading, playing city builders, and studying the history of the Motor City. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()