To most consumers Jeep is that iconic 4×4 brand that seems to have been around forever. It epitomizes rough and ready off-roading,
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
that thought immediately conjuring up images of one of its many models trailblazing through a thickly wooded forest, trudging knee deep through marshland, fording a fast moving river, or spewing sand from oversized tires as it speeds up and over a dune, there’s really no substitute for Jeep when it comes to serious 4x4s.
Of course there are, but none can trace their off-road roots back to 1941. Although to be fair, both Bantam and Ford built very similar utility vehicles for the U.S. World War II effort, simultaneously with Willys-Overland, the company that kept building them after the war under the CJ “Civilian Jeep” moniker, at least until 1953 when Kaiser and W-O joined forces to form Willys Motors, renamed Kaiser-Jeep in ’63, a company that was gobbled up by American Motors Corporation in 1970, until AMC fell under the partnership and eventual parentage of
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Renault in the ’80s, and Chrysler took over in ’87, before Daimler joined in and soon after created DaimlerChrysler in ’98, Chrysler got unceremoniously booted to the curb in ’07, Fiat started buying into Chrysler in ’09 and the two companies merged as FCA in ’14. The irony here is the very company that now owns the Jeep brand hails from a country our allied forces fought against in that war, after purchasing it indirectly from a German company. All we need now is for a Japanese automaker to buy in and the circle of life will be complete, but I jest.
The real story here is a brand that’s seen as so valuable that every automaker wants to own a piece, and while it would be unwise to expect Jeep to continue under its current ownership for any more than a decade considering its parental track
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
record, the war-born foster kid and 117-year old Turin-based Italian automaker that was supplying 508C sedans, light- and heavy-duty trucks, half-tracks and even a tank to Mussolini’s effort throughout those terrible years are now an especially good fit. The first result of this Italian-American union was the Alfa Romeo-based Cherokee, currently Jeep’s bestselling model, the Renegade being covered here its second collaborative offering and while nowhere near as successful from a numbers perspective, perfectly suited to its task.
In case you were one of those expecting Jeep’s less expensive Compass and Patriot models to be replaced when the Renegade arrived last year, think again. These sell much too well to be dropped altogether, the two having combined for almost 70,000 units in the U.S. and a less enthusiastic (per capita) albeit still significant 4,258 sales here in Canada over the first four months of this year, so Jeep
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
will move forward with a complete redesign based on the Renegade’s subcompact SUV platform and bearing just one of the two nameplates (or an altogether new one) next year, the upcoming model serving crossover-oriented Grand Cherokee-wannabe clientele, leaving the Renegade as the entry-level model for the more purely 4×4 crowd.
Or at least that’s how its upright design makes it appear. In reality, while Trail Rated and therefore fully capable of mucking it up with the big boys, the Renegade is ultimately refined and near luxury-like when put beside the brawny JK (the evolution of the CJ, and no the “K” has nothing to do with any ode to Kaiser). It’s really hard to believe an SUV that starts at just $21,495 plus freight and dealer fees can be made to such a high standard, but it’s truly a sign of Euro-sourced
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
lusso qualità affecting an entry-level volume branded model here at home. You can say the same for the Fiat 500X that shares its underpinnings, both near-luxury entrants that are more fittingly compared against the premium-branded Buick Encore and Mini Countryman than any of the usual subcompact SUV suspects.
Before I tell you why I consider the Renegade a premium compact SUV instead of just a run-of-the-mill economy model, my tester’s Trailhawk trim deserves some attention all on its own. First off it adds a rough and rugged look to the otherwise cutesy little 4×4, with a big matte black decal on the hood, thicker black cladding around its lower edges and wheel cutouts, an all-black roof top and side rails, plus cool red tow hooks front and rear. Bold red-painted Trail Rated badges join red drop-shadow-like
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
underlays around the Renegade badges on each front door and a red-winged “TRAILHAWK” badge fixed to the rear hatch.
Just in case you forgot you were driving a Jeep, the brand’s logo is attached in the usual fashion to the front-centre of the hood, plus there’s one on each wheel cap, tiny versions printed on the mirrors, and another large “Jeep” insignia stuck onto the rear liftgate, plus if you look closer you’ll find a little seven-slot grille and headlight emblem within the headlamps themselves. Open the front door and there’s the usual brand nomenclature on the steering wheel hub and one on each of its all-season floor mats front and rear, while a big digital “Jeep” graphic lights up on the infotainment screen at startup. Yet more grille and headlight logos can be found on the red-rimmed speaker grills front and back, the sides of the interior mirror
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
housing that also incorporates forward collision alert electronics, and the inside plastic panel of the liftgate. Additional Trailhawk logos are stitched into the leather-clad seats, attached in designer label-style coloured tabs to the backside of the front seats, while my accessorized example had another Jeep logo infused into the nylon bag that was strapped within the cargo area, that item for holding the removable roof panels. Finally, Beats Audio badges get added to the front and rear speakers, plus the rear subwoofer. The little Renegade is an exercise in branding overkill, although I’m not quite sure how tool companies that manufacture Phillips “crosshead” screwdrivers benefit from the unique taillight design that’s also embossed into the bottom of each cupholder. Lastly, I almost forgot to mention that Jeep didn’t forget to incorporate it’s legendary “Since 1941” slogan atop the infotainment display. Truly, FCA’s 4×4 brand hasn’t missed a beat.
While I find all these cute little details interesting, the Renegade is superbly executed overall and filled with top-tier features in Trailhawk trim. Along with the aforementioned metallic red speaker surrounds,
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
that stereo superb, by the way, is the same application added to the front vents at each corner, as well as the shifter surround and trim around the cupholders up front. That Trailhawk embroidery mentioned a moment ago is also stitched in red to match the thread around the padded leather-clad steering wheel, while tying together the leather shift boot, binding the leather seat bolsters, and adorning each side of the centre armrest.
Additionally, the entire dash top and instrument panel to the halfway point is constructed of premium-level soft touch synthetic, while each door insert and side armrest is made from one fluid piece of nicely padded leatherette. To match the steering wheel the shifter knob is also leather,
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
while both feature attractive satin-silver trim, this mirroring the gear-style bezels around each primary gauge dial, a splash of brownish-orange mud (although it kind of looks like flames) representing the tachometer’s redline, the bottom of the gauge cluster featuring a nice leatherette protector so that no gap appears between the dash and steering column. The door handles also get the satin-silver treatment, as does the tip of the electromechanical parking brake, while many of the dials and rotating knobs around the cabin are rimmed in shiny chrome brightwork, and the quality of this switchgear is second to none.
This is just another example of how the Renegade could easily pass for a premium model, because you won’t find better quality switchgear in the majority of luxury brands, the vent actuators, the three dials that make up the dual-zone automatic climate
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
control system, plus the four-wheel drive low and lock selector, the latter complete with “AUTO”, “SNOW”, “SAND”, “MUD” and “ROCK” settings, especially nice, with buttons and digital readouts incorporated within their centres, plus thick rubberized grips around their circumferences. A chrome-trimmed USB and aux port interface joins a 12-volt charger on the lower portion of the centre stack, just above a little storage bin filled with a removable rubber-bottomed tray that, get this, is detailed out with a relief map of the world and, you guessed it, a tiny grille and headlights logo stamped on the corner edge. Jeep has truly gone above and beyond to make this little SUV look and feel special, and I think they’ve succeeded.
The seats are excellent, incidentally, with superb lower back support, while Jeep incorporates true four-way lumbar support on the driver’s side, so you can add pressure
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
in and out as well as up and down in order to find necessary relief to appease your lower back discomfort. You can’t even get such adjustability on the majority of premium cars. For a subcompact SUV, the rear seats are also nice and roomy plus very supportive with excellent lower back support. The centre position can be folded down to expose a nicely padded leather armrest-cum-console with integrated dual cupholders, while above is the removable roof panel noted before, covered in rich black velvet no less. The front sunroof is finished to the same high standards and offers identical removability, but can also be powered rearward for easier use. Still in the backseat, a three-prong 115-volt household-style AC charger sits on the backside of the front console allowing peripheral power.
This, of course, is hardly the extent of the Renegade’s electronics roster, my tester
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
including a very large and comprehensive colour TFT multi-information display amid its primary gauges, this item much nicer than offered in many premium luxury models, while the sizable high-resolution colour infotainment touchscreen atop the centre stack is superbly executed and very easy to use, replete with various types of radio including AM/FM/HD and satellite, not to mention downloadable radio apps, plus Bluetooth wireless phone and audio streaming, one of the better navigation systems boasting very accurate TomTom guidance and mapping, a clear rearview camera, and more.
Additionally, the heatable steering wheel is a nice touch in this top-line version of Jeep’s smallest SUV, warming quickly and providing heat all the way around, unlike some that only do so at the 9 and 3 o’clock
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
positions where hands normally rest, while the two-way heatable front seats also heat up quickly and provide toasty warmth at their topmost temperature.
Along with all this impressive luxury kit and premium detailing is a compact SUV that incorporates the solidity of a much larger luxury vehicle, that build quality most noticeable when closing its doors, moving its well-made seats around, and of course when taking it out on the road. It’s like a little tank; I’d call mine Sherman if I owned one, although this reference might give the wrong impression, as it’s way too agile at high speed for anything running on tracks. Really, you’ll be surprised at how much fun the Renegade is to drive, taking to corners with poise and precision and fleeing from standstill or highway passing with loads of gusto thanks to an energetic 2.4-litre four-cylinder capable of 184 horsepower and 177 lb-ft
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
of torque, mated to a segment-exclusive nine-speed automatic with shift-lever actuated manual mode, plus standard four-wheel drive.
One of these days I really must take the Renegade Trailhawk off-road as I am sure it delivers just as well where pavement ends and the trail begins, but so far I haven’t had opportunity. I’ve learned that the Trail Rated badge doesn’t come easily, however, any Jeep wearing it having scaled the punishing Rubicon Trail. I’ve driven that vertically challenging Lake Tahoe, California natural off-road course before, including Cadillac Hill, albeit at the wheel of a JK Wrangler, and that was impressive enough. This little Willys’ CJ-2A-sized Renegade is small enough that all of the tight corners I
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
experienced difficulty with while piloting the long-wheelbase Wrangler Unlimited would be child’s play.
There’s a lot more I could continue to go on about with respect to this fabulous little 4×4, but other than saying its considerable $39,420 as-tested retail price is reasonable when factoring in its premium-level attributes (the Trailhawk starts at $33,290), commending its as-tested fuel economy of 11.2 L/100km city and 8.0 highway (well at least it’s commendable for a well-equipped off-road capable SUV that can tow up to 2,045 kilos/4,508 lbs when properly equipped), and lauding its sizable (for a subcompact) 524 litres (18.5 cubic feet) and 1,438 litres (50.8 cubic feet) of cargo capacity with rear seatbacks respectively upright and folded, I’ll leave the rest for you to discover. The Jeep Renegade Trailhawk is certainly worth the time to do so.
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