JEEP RENEGADE 1,4L T-JET LIMITED AWD

Could this be all the Jeep you really need?

WHEN we originally tested the Renegade in August 2015, we were impressed with Jeep’s entry-level model and concluded that test with, “The company’s decision to inject a comfortable and enjoyable compact town-goer with a generous helping of Jeep character could prove something of masterstroke.” We scored it 76/100.

However, that was a frontwheel-drive 1,4-litre turbopetrol version developing 103 kw and 230 N.m. If you plan on venturing off-road, you would need one of the all-wheel-drive derivatives and this is where Jeep’s two 4x4 Renegades enter the fray.

There is the 2,4-litre 4x4 Trailhawk, with its four-cylinder petrol engine, and then there is this model, a 1,4-litre turbopetrol 4x4 Limited. The forced-induction engine develops 125 kw and 250 N.m, and is connected to a (wait for it) nine-speed automatic transmission.

In pictures, the Renegade might look compact, but in reality – thanks to its boxy design and clever use of interior space – it’s surprisingly large. Little design details here and there, including a miniature Jeep drawing that heads up the A-pillar on the inside of the windscreen and the red mud splash on the rev counter, remain a novel touch. There is also an overall chunky feel to the touch points, most notably the thick-rimmed steering wheel and hefty door handles.