By Derek Price
Automotive Writer
Jeep has picked a brilliant name for its new, small crossover, the Renegade.
Not only is it exponentially cooler than the meaningless alphanumeric names that plague too many of today’s cars, but it’s also telling. It describes where this Jeep fits in the pantheon of off-road history by doing the most rebellious — some would say sacrilegious — thing in the history of the Jeep brand: being built outside the United States.
Granted, that’s not unusual for today’s cars. It’s common for the corporate owners to be in one country, senior executives in another, the factory in yet another, and the parts sourced from many different countries, making the difference between “foreign” and “domestic” brands virtually indistinguishable.
But for Jeep, which has wrapped itself in the American flag since helping the Allies win World War II, the Renegade’s assembly in formerly Axis Italy represents a dramatic departure that my grandmother wouldn’t have been happy to see.
The Renegade is the new, small Jeep with some serious off-road chops — at least on the beefed-up Trailhawk version, shown here.
Does that still matter today? I’m not so sure because, for one thing, buyers know today’s cars are a mishmash of parts and engineering from many, many different countries. For another, they’re far more concerned with whether a car is good or not than where it’s built.
And after driving the Renegade for a few hours, I think it clearly deserves that “good” label.
On the road, it drives with a smooth, comfortable feel that’s as poised as any small crossover. And off-road, as long as you opt for the beefed-up Trailhawk model, it shows why it’s worthy of the Jeep name.
I drove the Renegade Trailhawk on a challenging off-road course in California — the same one where Jeep showed off the limits of its much bigger Grand Cherokee a few years ago — and came away impressed at just how capable this little Jeep can be. Its ability belies its size.
Even when one wheel is lifted up in the air while two or three struggle to find traction on loose rocks, the Renegade can send 100 percent of its torque to any wheel that still has grip. With a rock-crawling mode, speed-adjustable hill descent and electronics that can compensate for different types of terrain, I’m surprised that Jeep can price the Renegade Trailhawk package under $26,000.
If you don’t need that dazzling off-road ability, you can buy a street-oriented Renegade for as little as $17,995. Granted, that’s for a true base model without air conditioning and some other basic goodies, so most buyers will opt for the Latitude for $21,295 or the fancy Limited grade for $24,795.
You can get it with a 1.4-liter engine and six-speed manual, which I thought was ridiculously fun to drive, or a 2.4-liter engine coupled to a nine-speed automatic. The nine-speed feels spectacular, with crisp, instant shifts almost like a dual-clutch transmission, and I didn’t notice it hunting for gears as much as it does in the Chrysler 200.
The Renegade has an optional roof with removable panels that can also slide electronically back and forth. When you take them off, it makes the Renegade seem almost like a convertible, giving you that classic Jeep open-air feeling.
I like the way the Renegade looks, too, both inside and out. Jeep’s designers had a lot of fun with this car, and I love the playful little touches that they added throughout the cabin.
My favorite feature on it is a roof that can both slide electronically and be removed like those T-tops back in the ‘80s. When you take the roof off, it gives you an open-air feeling that’s so fun in classic Jeeps, almost like a convertible.
My only complaint is that the knobs and switches didn’t feel as nice and solid as some of Chrysler’s best products. It seemed a bit flimsy in places, but the brand representatives assured me that’s only because I was driving a pre-production car. It should be fixed on the cars for sale at the dealer, they say.
At a Glance
What was tested?
2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk ($25,995). Options: My Sky power retractable panels ($1,395), Navigation ($1,245). Price as tested (including $995 destination charge): $29,630
Wheelbase: 101.2 in.
Length: 166.6 in.
Width: 79.6 in.
Height: 66.5 in.
Engine: 2.4-liter Multiair2 Tigershark (180 horsepower, 175 lbs.-ft.)
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Estimated Mileage: More than 30 mpg highway
RATINGS
Style: 9
Performance: 9
Price: 8
Handling: 6
Ride: 7
Comfort: 7
Quality: 6
Overall: 8
Video Review:
2015 Jeep Renegade
bit.ly/15renegade
Why buy it?
It has good, rugged looks and the efficiency of a small crossover. In the Trailhawk model, it has off-road ability worthy of the Jeep name.