- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr
True Renegade that looks like a Jeep
The Jeep Renegade is the Jeep subcompact SUV produced by Stellantis (which was created as a result of the merger of the Italian-American company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the French Groupe PSA). The SUV has been produced since 2014, and was restyled in 2018. It is this model that is currently presented on the Israeli market (as of 2021). It is the first Jeep product to be manufactured exclusively outside of North America, namely in Italy, and marketed in North America, Europe, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Japan and China.
The Renegade has changed its ‘faith’, which is currently the case with the almost all off-road models that have been turned into crossover SUVs with a wave of the magic wand of marketers. The American brand Jeep, the pioneer of almost all-terrain vehicles, also decided to change its ‘orientation’. The Renegade is not even a Jeep at all, but an Italian Fiat 500L Compact Van. Yes, it has been considerably modernized, acquiring the shorter body overhangs, a new independent suspension and a new front face design. The result is a subcompact SUV. Here’s how it happened.
The first generation
It has been produced from 2014 to the present, while its restyling took place in 2018. You can still easily recognize the Renegade, as it looks like a real Jeep. All the family features have been kept, including round eyes-headlights, an angular body, a radiator grille with large vertical slots. The SUV interior looks masculine, featuring large instruments, massive handles, a large front panel, and the handle in front of the front passenger combined with a ventilation system deflector, forming a figure very similar to a shovel. Some interior areas feature a Willys drawing. The backseat is quite spacious, especially in the upper part, which is ensured by the vertical body pillars. The basic equipment of European trim levels includes six airbags, a rear-view camera, ESP and electronic vehicle safety distance warning system and lane keeping assist, as well as a modern multimedia system.
The SUV was initially equipped with four petrol engines with the capacity of 1.4 liters (boosted to 140 hp and 170 hp), 2.4 liters (185 hp) and 1.6 liters (110 hp) and three diesel engines with the capacity of 1.6 liters (120 hp) and 2 liters (140 hp and 170 hp). The engines worked in tandem with a 5 or 6-speed manual transmission, a 6-speed double clutch automated transmission or a 9-speed hydromechanical automatic transmission. The car can be front-wheel drive or four-wheel, but the second option was available only with 2-liter diesels and a 2.4-liter petrol engine. The four-wheel drive version was powered by an automatic multi-plate clutch, so front-wheel drive was still the standard option. The Selec-Terrain system (known from the Cherokee SUV) has Auto, Mud, Snow and Sand modes and simulates a downshift on vehicles with the 9-speed automatic transmission.
2018 restyling
In 2018, the manufacturer restyled the SUV, which was sold in the amount of half a million units globally since 2014. The 2018/2019 Jeep Renegade has a slightly changed exterior, featuring a new bumper with a modified arrangement of fog lights and turn signals, new head optics and redesigned taillights. The vehicle has acquired a new center console with a different climate control unit, as well as a new multimedia system with a larger screen. A USB connector has been added to the rear of the armrest for rear row passengers.
The new Jeep Renegade is equipped with new turbocharged Firefly engines by FCA (in fact, it is the first model to feature it) from the GSE (Global Small Engine) range. The T3 and T4 units are turbocharged direct fuel injection engines with four valves per cylinder. The 1.0-liter 3-cylinder version produces 120 hp, whereas the 4-cylinder engine produces 150 or 180 hp. These engines meet the new environmental standards and requirements of the WTLP test cycle and are used on all European compact cars, including Fiat, Abarth and Alfa Romeo. The Firefly turbocharged engines come with a 6-speed manual transmission. Such a combination is designed for the front-wheel drive variants in the Sport, Longitude and Limited trims. The T4 engine with 150 hp is combined with the 6-speed DDCT transmission and with front-wheel drive.
In Israel, the manufacturer offers the Longitude version (a 1.3-liter turbocharged engine with 150 hp and a 6-speed automated transmission). Such a vehicle accelerates to 100 km / h in 9.4 seconds, the maximum speed is 196 km / h, and the consumption is 7.2 liters per 100 km.
