Two new hybrid SUVs from brands with an outdoorsy image have entered the market: the Jeep Cherokee and the Subaru Forester. The Jeep Cherokee, absent from showrooms since 2023, returned for 2026 as a full redesign, and every version now comes with a hybrid powertrain rated above 30 miles per gallon, according to Edmunds auto expert James Riswick. The Subaru Forester introduced its hybrid option a year earlier, for the 2025 model year. Riswick reported that the Forester’s hybrid system lifts the SUV’s fuel economy, performance, and overall refinement.
Both vehicles appeal to shoppers interested in an SUV with strong fuel economy that can also handle weekend trips into nature. Edmunds’ testers evaluated the two to help buyers decide.