What is it?

Being the smallest 4x4 in the Jeep range, the Renegade is the companies attempt to break into the ultra-competitive compact crossover segment, and to do this they worked closely with designers and engineers from their parent group, FIAT. 

Consequently the Renegade is the first Jeep ever to be built outside of the United States, and if that wasn’t shocking enough for Jeep diehards, like most cars these days, the Renegade shares it’s platform with another … the FIAT 500X, and they're built side-by-side at the FIAT factory in Melfi, Italy.

The question is, have they done enough to appease Jeep fans and kept Renegade’s DNA? 

To find out, we were given the Limited version fitted with the 2ltr 140bhp engine and 9-speed auto with low range & 4wd. 

On the road

I had to think long and hard about the Renegade’s handling, because I’d been told by a colleague that it tries to handle like a proper Jeep - it didn’t feel that way to me.  As someone who is used to driving a ‘proper’ off-roader, albeit a Land Rover Defender, or my current steed a Toyota Surf, I thought the Renegade handled the road rather well. From pottering around town, to spending a day exploring Wales, I found the ride forgiving, especially through the ever frequent family dog sized pot holes.  

The electric steering felt just right and the 9-speed automatic gearbox did such a good job that I wasn’t even aware of it, it gave me the correct gear whenever I needed it, whether I was hooning around or driving through town.

The Renegade is a good car to drive, even quite fun on some roads, and yes it does roll around the odd corner when being pushed.  However, you have to remember that you’re not driving a typical road based SUV with some off-road electrical trickery, it’s a Jeep with 4WD qualities that others simply don’t possess, therefore, in my humble opinion, it does compromise well.

Off road

The Renegade may have the Jeeps name, but when venturing off the beaten track the first thing you need to be aware of is the lack of any decent approach angle, or at least I thought. On first glance I imagined the low hanging front spoiler would act as a digger, but in truth it wasn’t all that bad, you just need to take care and be aware of your surroundings.

Looking through the spec sheet, Jeep only offers a low-range gearbox option on 2 models, that’s the 140bhp Limited and 170bhp Trailhawk versions of the 2ltr Multijet diesel, the rest either have standard 4WD or just front-wheel-drive.  

With 4WD Lock, a low box and Hill Descent Control fitted, it took me pretty much where its tyre grip and bodywork would allow, certainly farther than most owners will ever want to take it.

Like all manufacturers these days, Jeep have developed their own traction-control system which they call Selec-Terrain. Selec-Terrain basically allows you to dial in the desired on or off-road setting for the type of terrain you may find yourself on.  It worked a treat, though if it was mine I would have to trim the front bumper to give myself a better approach angle! 

Interior

Comfortable and well appointed are words that come to mind when describing the interior, I particularly like the little nods the its heritage with small images of GPs scattered around the place.

Jumping behind the wheel for the first time I was quite surprised by the amount of space I had in front of me. I actually measured it, there was exactly 4 feet from my body to the base of the windscreen, which gave the feeling of being in a much bigger car.

The dash layout is scattered with wonderful knobs and switches - which is a good thing.  Of course there’s the usual touch screen, but it isn’t huge and certainly not distracting.  Overall the interior was easy to live with, and inoffensive, even in the brown, cream and orange colour scheme!

Although the rear seats are comfy enough, if you have a driver and front passenger who are both over 6ft tall, rear leg room isn’t great.

The rear load space is a good size. For our trip to Wales we threw in a camping table, 2 deck chairs and a BBQ without the need for lowering the back seats.  Though sadly, if you do need more space in the back, the rear seats don't fold flat. 

The full length panoramic sun roof was a blessing too, though it’s a £1,200 extra.

Engines ‘n’ transmission

Are you sitting comfortably?  I’ll begin.  There are six engines to choose from, 3 petrol and 3 diesel.

Petrol                               Diesel
1.4ltr @ 140bhp               1.6ltr @ 120bhp
1.4ltr @ 170bhp               2.0ltr @ 140bhp
1.6ltr @ 110bhp               2.0ltr @ 170bhp

The 170bhp 1.4ltr petrol comes with a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox (DCT), and the lesser 2.0-litre diesel has the option of a nine-speed conventional auto, which the higher-powered version gets as standard.  All the other options are manual only.

Four-wheel drive is available on the high-powered 1.4 petrol and 2.0 diesels, but it’s only the high spec models that have four-wheel drive with a low-ratio mode and hill descent control.

Conclusion

Personally I don’t think the Renegade is the prettiest car in the car park, but that’s just my opinion, but as we know, we should never judge a book by its cover ‘n’ all that.

Overall it exceeded in its role as a 4x4 and general dogsbody for the week at Muddy Towers, and the more I drove it, both on and off road, the more I enjoyed the experience and began to forget its looks!

So to answer the question I posed at the beginning of these ramblings, have they done enough to appease the Jeep fans and kept Renegade’s DNA? 

Put simply, yes.

Website:  www.jeep.co.uk
Prices from:  £18,250
Model tested:   Renegade Limited, 2ltr diesel with 140bhp, 9-speed auto with low range & 4wd
OTR price:  £29,050.  With extras: £31,915