A renegade with a cause
If you were asked to draw a 4×4 vehicle, I bet my bottom dollar the first car that comes to your mind is the Jeep. You will probably draw something that looks a bit like a Jeep Renegade. This boxy little off-roader has all the features you would expect to find on a hard-core Jeep Wrangler, just condensed into a shrunk, urban-friendly package. There is also something about it that would remind you of my favourite Jeep, the KJ model.
These unique features make it stand out from the likes of the VW T-Roc, Renault Duster, Mini Countryman, Mazda CX-3, Nissan Juke, Nissan Qashqai, Audi Q2, Toyota C-HR, Honda HR-V and Suzuki Vitara like a beacon defending the original rugged looks of a 4x4 vehicle. Don’t get me wrong, competition has fantastic lookers but none will give you the original 4x4 rugged yet attractive look. Only the Jeep Renegade does. After all, a renegade is a person who deserts and betrays an organisation, country, or set of principles. I would go further and say a free-spirited person who defies the norm and challenges the status quo. Where there is disruption there is innovation and development. The Jeep Renegade does just that. It has become a cool word actually as action hero movies have been made where renegades fight for a good cause. In this case the jeep goes against the trend and grain. The trend is that most cars are becoming “roundy” and too aerodynamic. This Jeep is the Renegade that defends the values, looks and work ethos of the original 4x4s without compromising on ride quality, comfort and performance
You might say the Jeep Renegade is true to its name because it certainly isn't a clone of the crowded small SUV segment. It is certainly charming enough to check that small SUV prerequisite box, but properly equipped, it will leave all the competition literally in the dust when taken off-road. Further, its exterior style, interior design, engine configurations, and even country of origin beats competition. This is an American brand that has been in the motoring game since 1941 which has been supported by Zimoco locally who are a doyen with unmatched heritage in the motor industry
It’s a fact that buyers of this car will hardly take it off road.
Why should they?
Most Jeep Renegade owners are young urbanites, suburban singles and small families whose most likely off-road venture is pulling into the gravel road through the highdensity suburbs or a rare trip kumusha once when a very close family member dies.
Sure, the Renegade will get some head turns as it pulls into your workplace driveway, as you ramble the urban concrete jungle or as you weave and dance with your vehicle whilst being pounded by potholes on Zimbabwean roads, but it will also do a nice turn of rock-crawling. In fact, off the highway is where the Renegade is really in its element. The Jeep manufacturer highlights its off-road history, labelling the Renegade the only true SUV in the small crossover market.
The Jeep Renegade is a small crossover SUV with the chunky details and a boxy shape to drive home the brand’s quest for adventure heritage.
With the Renegade, Jeep persona goes deeper than the surface on rugged Trailhawk trims. It's a capable performer off-road.
It is like a kid Incredible Hulk but in a cheeky and charming manner.
A rugged appearance and decent ground clearance will hold it in good stead for the day-to-day activities of most buyers.
Inside, the Renegade pays homage to the other Jeeps from yesteryear, including round air vents, Easter eggs, and practical nods like the shifter and terrain-selection knob.
Spend some time with the Renegade, and you gradually begin to notice the clever creative details that Jeep’s designers have managed to add to an already characterful little car.
Along the right-hand side of the windscreen is a small Jeep driving up the A-pillar, the redline on the rev counter is indicated by the splash of a paintball and the rubber surface at the bottom of one of the storage areas features the signature sevenslot grille that marks all Jeep products.
The cabin is mostly airy, but Trailhawk models add a durable cloth and leather combo that add a new level of toughness with just enough visual interest. It is a small yet impressively spacious small SUV with a good quality interior.
It is refined and quiet even at top speed. It has a usefully large boot and wide opening rear doors.
What that boxy shape does mean is plenty of interior space with good headroom, especially in the back. The wide opening doors are handy for parents fitting child seats and the interior feels robust enough to cope with everyday family life.
It is the smallest member of the Jeep family, from behind the wheel it actually feels somewhat similar to Jeep’s larger offerings.
The square body design frees up ample head and shoulder room all round, while the elevated driving position not only gives you a sense of safety but affords a good view over the bonnet that makes judging the position of the front extremities easy in tight urban manoeuvring.
Apart from the off-road-biased Trailhawk, which uses a larger, 2.4-litre corporate mill for propulsion, all Renegades use the same 1.4-litre turbopetrol 4-cylinder with which it was launched.
Outputs are still class-competitive for its displacement, however: 103 kW and 230 Nm is pretty much on par for this engine size, and matches the power on offer from the Renegade’s competitors.
All Renegades from Longitude trim level upwards use automatic gearboxes, with the 1.4T engines mated to a 6-speed dualclutch automatic.
Performance is, as suggested by the engine’s output figures, adequate for an entry level Jeep. The 0–je100 km/h dash is dispatched in a claimed 11.0 seconds, with a top speed of 181 km/h. If you want brute power, absolute speed and unmatched luxury then go for the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.
With a tight turning circle and a raised driving position the Renegade has all the qualities needed to rival the current crop of crossovers and small SUVs.
And while the looks might not be to everyone's tastes (it looks better in the metal than in photographs) the fact it has a Jeep badge gives it plenty of kudos and the standard of the interior helps make it feel a class above much of the competition.
For US$39900 you know you can drive away in a new Jeep Renegade from Zimoco
andrew@muzamhindo.com.