The Jeep Cherokee (XJ) is a sport utility vehicle developed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) and marketed across a single generation by Jeep in the United States from 1983 (model year 1984) through 2001, and globally through 2014. It was available in two- or four-door, five-passenger, front-engine, rear- or four-wheel drive configurations.

Sharing the name of the original, full-size Cherokee SJ model, the 1984 XJ Cherokee was Jeep's first all-new design since the 1963 SJ Wagoneer, as well as the first American off-road vehicle built with fully integrated body-and-frame (unibody) design, and formed the mechanical basis for the Jeep Comanche (MJ) pickup truck (1986–1992).

Jeep marketed XJs as Sportwagons, a precursor to the modern sport utility vehicle (SUV) before that term was used. The XJ is credited for spawning competitors, as other automakers noticed the design cannibalizing sales from regular cars, supplanting the role of the station wagon and transforming the vehicle type "from truck to limousine in the eyes of countless suburban owners," though GM had also launched road-biased, RWD and 4WD compact SUVs, the Chevrolet S-10 Blazer and GMC S-15 Jimmy, one year earlier, initially available in two-door form only.

The 2007 book Jeep Off-Road called the XJ a "significant link in the evolution of the 4x4." In 2011, Kiplinger magazine selected the XJ as one of the "cars that refuse to die." Automotive journalist Robert Cumberford, writing for Automobile, called the Jeep XJ one of the 20 greatest cars of all time — for its design, and "possibly the best SUV shape of all time, it is the paradigmatic model to which other designers have since aspired."

Initial designs for the revolutionary Cherokee XJ emerged in the late 1970s at American Motors, driven by the need to replace the then-current full-size SJ Cherokee with a more compact offering. This strategic move was underscored by reports indicating similar downsizing plans from General Motors (GM) and Ford for their utility vehicles. The 1979 acquisition of a 22% stake in AMC by Renault further shaped the XJ's direction, with the French automaker advocating for not only a smaller footprint but also reduced weight, improved fuel efficiency, and enhanced ergonomics.

The early styling proposals for the XJ Cherokee displayed a distinct European influence, conceived mainly by AMC engineers under the guidance of design vice president Dick Teague. The styling was one of many steps that AMC took the Cherokee XJ "into new territory and several would become industry benchmark". Recognizing the potential of this new segment, American Motors invested $250 million in the XJ's design and production, a key element of their strategy asserting that "the compact SUV was 'the future' for automobiles in the United States."

Observing General Motors' development of a new two-door S-10-based Blazer, AMC engineered an entirely new four-door model alongside a two-door variant. This forward-thinking approach was complemented by American Motors' vice president of engineering, Roy Lunn, who created the innovative "Quadra-Link" suspension system specifically designed to mitigate the risk of vehicle rollover. Renault's François Castaing contributed to the XJ's groundbreaking design by developing a drivetrain that utilized a significantly smaller engine than typically found in 4WD vehicles while achieving substantial weight reduction in the new model.

The Cherokee XJ "is noteworthy as the first nonmilitary 4x4 with unibody construction." This unconventional structure enhanced the XJ's durability and off-road prowess, ultimately winning over most critics, even those initially skeptical of models equipped with early, less powerful GM engines. The XJ is also characterized "as the first small crossover SUV in the U.S.," with "plenty of the Jeep toughness (and a straight-six engine) built-in". The innovative design and strategic market positioning of the XJ, alongside the AMC Eagle essentially "foreshadowed the car-based crossover utility-vehicle fad."