The Jeep Cherokee is a staple of the automaker's lineup. However, sales have been down for the past several months in the US, a trend that started before the coronavirus pandemic struck. To help counter this, a new trim is being launched, called the Latitude Lux, that'll slot in between the Latitude Plus and Limited trims. Combined, these trims account for close to half of all Cherokee sales. But what about the most expensive trim level?

According to CarsDirect, the Cherokee Overland is being discontinued for the 2021 model year. A Jeep spokesperson has confirmed this fact and no direct replacement is planned. The Overland has standard features like Nappa leather, unique 19-inch wheels, an 8.4-inch navigation system, special badges, and other high-end features. Pricing, however, may have been the key reason for its downfall.

The 4x2 models only started at $38,490 while the 4x4 went for at least $39,990. Fully loaded models went for nearly $43,000, which makes it a hard sell compared to the larger and more premium Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was the brand's best-selling model in the first half of this year. With the Cherokee Overland's retirement, the most expensive trim is the $37,000 Limited 4x4 and it offers many of the same features.

Interestingly, however, there are not many 2020 Overland trims in stock anywhere in the US right now. Out of the 20,000 Cherokees listed in the brand's national inventory, less than a dozen are Overlands. In other words, it's a slow-seller, hence Jeep's decision to ditch it.

A base Grand Cherokee, for example, begins at about $33,000. Jeep figures that anyone willing to spend over $40k on a Cherokee will readily do so on a Grand Cherokee instead. And speaking of the Grand Cherokee, it too offers an Overland trim with Nappa leather and other high-end features, but it won't be dropped for 2021. At nearly $54,000, it isn't exactly cheap either.

Jeep's 2021 trim revision plan is basically about packing attractive features into a less expensive premium model (Latitude Lux) and eliminating an overpriced one that nobody wanted anyway.