Cute, affordable Jeep can compete with big guys
Refreshed Renegade scores big points for tackling the tough stuff or cruising the street
Tsmallest model in Jeep’s inventory is also one of the most attractive, but don’t let the size or the looks fool you. When properly equipped, the Renegade can conquer the not-so-beaten paths as competently as any competing model.
The Renegade first put a wheel on our shores for the 2015 model year. Although it was designed here, the Renegade’s actual home base is a Fiat plant in Italy where it shares the same basic platform and purpose with the Fiat 500X. Buyers in more than 100 countries can also take the Renegade home.
Compared to the onesize-larger Compass, the Renegade is more than half a foot shorter but has two more inches of body height and nearly identical passenger volume. It’s only in cargo space behind the rear seat where the Compass clearly dominates, but those who haven’t sat in a Renegade might be pleasantly surprised by just how much head, elbow and legroom there really is.
For 2019, the Renegade receives a number of updates. There’s a new hood and a grille with active shutters that close at higher speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag. There are also new wheel designs and now-optional LED headlights and tail lamps. In reality, these changes are barely discernible from the previous edition.
It’s a similar story inside. There are slight adjustments to the instrument panel, an added smartphone holder and a new-look infotainment system.
Of greater significance are the revisions to the Renegade’s drivetrain lineup. The turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder base engine, which generated 160 horsepower and
184 pound-feet of torque, has been replaced by the previously optional non-turbo 2.4-liter four-cylinder that makes 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet. It’s rated at 22 mpg in Chevrolet Trax Fiat 500X
Base price: $22,000 (est.)
Renegade’s close relation uses the same engines but has a sportier body. the city, 30 on the highway and 25 combined.
The new optional engine is a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder that puts out 177 horses and 200 pound-feet of torque.
The deletion of the 1.4-liter turbo also means the cancellation of the six-speed manual transmission. A nine-speed automatic is now mandatory across the line.
Four-wheel-drive is optional for all Renegade variations, except the off-road-specialist Trailhawk model, which automatically gets it. The system comes with low-range 20:1 crawl-ratio gearing, underbody skidplate protection, a nearly 1-inch increase in ride height, plus unique wheels that are fitted with all-terrain tires.
Trailhawks also get hill-descent control and Auto, Snow, Sand, Mud and Rock traction settings (the Active Drive 4x4 system in other trims lack the low-range Rock setting).
Note that the Renegade’s 2,000-pound maximum towing capacity requires the 4x4 option.
As of this writing, pricing is a bit of a mystery as the 2019 model is just coming on stream. About $22,000 (including destination fees) would be a reasonable guess for the base Sport 4x2. It comes with minimal power-operated content and only a small 5-inch touch screen and has no air conditioning or speed control.
The Latitude adds those items along with a 7-inch touch screen and fog lights, and the steel wheels are upgraded to 16-inch aluminum alloys.
Positioned atop the Renegade rung, the Limited includes leather-covered seats (heated in front), six-way power driver’s seat and 18inch wheels.
What’s missing from the Limited and other trims are the optional sunroofs (dual-pane or removable open-air roof panels), nine-speaker Beats audio package, full-size spare tire and a range of active-safety technologies to prevent collisions. Parallel and perpendicular parking assist can also be ordered.
It would be easy to dismiss the Renegade out of hand as a mere caricature of a true utility vehicle, but its small size and tightly drawn sheet metal make it ideal for squeezing around tight spots, hopping over boulders and crawling through mud and muck. And it does all this while managing to look so darned cute.