Driving Review: Jeep Renegade
WHAT IS IT?
Well, it’s yet another B-segment SUV. Jeep’s new Renegade is the brand’s first entrant into what is a globally booming segment and one in which South African buyers are finding more favour at an alarming rate. Poised to bring the fight to the likes of the Nissan Juke and Ford’s hot-potato EcoSport, the new Jeep Renegade is a premium sub-compact SUV, launched this week in the urban jungle that is Gauteng.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
In a word: cute. I’m not sure whether ‘cute’ and ‘Jeep’ should ever be part of the same sentence, but this new little tyke sure is a looker, and it will definitely appeal to a new, more female audience for the brand. It’s chunky, boxy and unmistakably Jeep, with clever design elements inside and out.
Jeep has used a new jerry can motif throughout the vehicle, and smart design cues along these lines are everywhere, from the lights to the dashboard, and hidden ‘Easter eggs’ like a Sasquatch and a topographical map of Moab, Utah, can be found around the car as well. Clearly the designers were allowed to have fun with the Renegade, an element which is portrayed by its customisability as well.
Eleven colours are available along with an accessories list you’ll enjoy browsing – tattoos, contrasting wheels and interior colour combinations allow buyers to create a slightly more unique Renegade, should they so wish.
WHAT DOES IT OFFER?
For the moment, Jeep Renegade is only available in Limited guise. Power comes from a 1.4-litre turbocharged MultiAir II engine, and a six-speed manual gearbox is offered as standard. Power is a decent 103 kW, with torque set at 230 Nm, and for now you’ll get front-wheel drive only. Fuel economy is claimed to be 6.0-litres per 100 km on the combined cycle according to Jeep, and carbon emissions are 140 g/km. Start-stop technology is on hand to enhance efficiency as well.
Later in the year, all-wheel drive will become available, as will 1.6-litre normally-aspirated petrol and turbocharged diesel engines. Spec levels will also increase, with the entry-level Longitude and range-topping Trailhawk expanding the offering considerably.
The first five hundred units will come standard with R30 000-worth of extras, which include lane keeping assistance, a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, and satellite navigation amongst others, and go some way to justifying the seemingly high launch price of R375 990.
Other standard equipment includes cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear parking sensors, Bluetooth, a great multi-faceted infotainment system, ABS with BAS, six airbags, tyre pressure monitoring, forward collision warning and an electronic hand brake – Renegade carries a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating as well.
HOW DOES IT DRIVE?
Despite its overland SUV looks and attitude, the Renegade is excellently comfortable in the city. It’s nimble with great visibility, and the turbocharged motor makes for easy traffic-bound shenanigans. Notably, ground clearance in the front-wheel drive model is very generous (175 mm) and having explored a mild off-road course in the heart of the Joburg CBD, its ability to cross a few dongas and climb a hill or two is very impressive.
On the open road it’s comfortable and quiet, and on dirt it reacts moderately well to corrugations and undulations. Make no mistake, the all-wheel drive models, which will offer even more ground clearance, will surely perform very well off-road, but the two-wheel drive city-slicker is perfectly happy off the beaten track. Tar-based dynamics are also good, the suspension setup providing good feedback – the steering lacks a bit of feel, however.
IN CONCLUSION
The new Renegade presents a bit of a rock and hard place for me. I love the looks, the feel and the lifestyle it has been designed to meet and enjoy. It’s spacious and comfy, drives nicely overall and offers enough off-road ability in Limited guise to satisfy a generous helping of adventure now and then. It’s very expensive, though, overshadowing the smarter players in the segment – which includes the new Opel Mokka – by a considerable margin.
That said, Renegade is poised as a premium player, a term which cars like the Mokka and the one-day-soon Audi Q1 also embody to a certain extent. The added value factor is high, and considering that R375 990 includes a 3-year/ 100 000 km warranty and exceptionally-impressive 6-year/ 100 000 maintenance plan, it makes a decent bit of sense.
WORDS: BRENT ELLIS @journobrent