A MINI CROSSOVER READY FOR OFF-ROAD ADVENTURE
Apparently unloved by the Jeep faithful, at least here in Canada, the Renegade is nonetheless stubbornly hanging on. The pugnacious little rig, of which a mere 664 were sold in this country last year, is a rather unique proposition in the increasingly popular subcompact crossover segment — it’s ready and willing to forgo tarmac for a romp on a trail.
OK, maybe not the Rubicon, but certainly something tougher than a chewed-up cottage driveway.
Naturally, this is best accomplished with the aptly named Trailhawk model, on which Jeep has bestowed its Trail Rated ranking, giving the crossover its standard Jeep Active Drive Low 4x4 system, 220 millimetres of ground clearance, skid plates, and more.
The 4x4 is built by Fiat in Italy and shares a considerable number of parts with the Fiat 500X. This makes it an underground parking-space-friendly set of wheels for those who occasionally grab their bikes and camping gear and get out of the downtown jungle.
The Renegade, especially the Trailhawk, works its boxy and rugged design elements — the trapezoidal wheel arches, the seven-slot grille, the circular headlamps, the moulded lower fascia, etc. — and owns them.
It’s a vehicle that stands out in a parking lot chock full of other, more genteel crossover sameness.
Other than a few infotainment upgrades for the 2020 model year, the Jeep is pretty much carried over from 2019. However, that year saw a fairly significant powertrain revision — the ditching of the Multiair 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder for a slightly smaller albeit more powerful 1.3-L, direct-injected turbo-four engine, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Standard on the Trailhawk and Limited models — optional on Sport and Latitude — the boosted motor punches out a robust (for its size) 177 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque, a jump of 17 hp and 26 lb-ft over the 1.4-L engine. Unfortunately, like its predecessor, the 1.3 sacrifices some fuel economy in return for more power (I averaged 11 L/100 km) and operates optimally on premium gas.
The engine, though willing, has to contend with the mini-Ute’s rather stout 1,602-kilogram weight, so count on at least nine seconds to reach 100 km/h from a standing start. The other thing the Trailhawk has to contend with is an oddly geared ninespeed automatic transmission; sixth through ninth are all overdrives, not the most effective use of the engine’s available torque.
Ride and handling, at least on pavement, is a mixed bag. The ride part is surprisingly good for a short-wheelbase compact, and the suspension, aided by the side-wall cushioning effect of the Trailhawk’s P215/65R17 all-season Falcon rubber, tackles cracked pavement, potholes, road construction, and other such annoyances with aplomb. Those same tires, though, contribute to a somewhat imprecise connection with the road.
Jeep’s Active Drive Low 4x4 system includes a Selec-Terrain system that, on the Trailhawk, provides five modes (Auto, Snow, Sand, Mud and Rock), which will get the Jeep much farther along a gnarly trail than a Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-3, or any number of the popular urban mall assault vehicles. In addition to its 220 mm of ground clearance, the Trailhawk Jeep Active Drive Low offers 206 mm of wheel articulation, hill-descent control, almost 500 mm of water fording and a towing capacity of up to 2,000 pounds.
Naturally, the Trailhawk’s interior has to match the bold, assertive look of the SUV’s exterior. Jeep’s designers even gave it a clever name — Tek-Tonic, which they defined as a merger of soft and tactile forms with rugged and functional details, not to mention a few “Easter eggs,” to remind you of the familial connection to the legendary CJ/ Wrangler. (I found four of these reminders without even trying.)
The tester was fitted with the optional ($995) Uconnect 8.4 NAV Group, which includes GPS navigation, HD radio, an 8.4-inch touch screen, SiriusXM Travel Link, SiriusXM Traffic, and more. Typical of the Uconnect infotainment found in other FCA products, the one in the Renegade is smartly conceived and executed, being simple to operate and displaying crisp graphics. The tester was also fitted with a very nice Kenwood sound system (new for 2020 and also $995).
Given the Renegade’s overall size (4,232 mm long, with a 2,570-mm wheelbase) it’s function as a family vehicle is suspect at best. Front-seat headroom and legroom is extremely generous, even for those in the six-foot-plus category, but any adults occupying the rear seats will pay the price. Cargo space aft of the back seats is quite usable with a capacity of 524 L, and opening up to 1,439 L with the seats folded.
Considering there are six trim levels to the Renegade, one certainly doesn’t have to embrace the off-road abilities of the Trailhawk (at $34,445, it’s second only to the Limited).