- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.4T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
103kW, 230Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (98) 5.9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
She says, he says: Jeep Renegade Limited
He: There's a bit of a baby boom happening in the suburbs at the moment with a new breed of city-sized soft roaders. Most are basically high-riding hatchbacks that look the part, but don't offer much in the way of getting off the beaten track. Jeep, a brand which is synonymous with rugged four-wheel drives, clearly can't ignore the trend and has created its smallest, most urban-biased model yet, the Renegade. It's also the first Jeep to be built exclusively outside of America (in Italy no less) as it shares its basic underpinnings and mechanical set-up with the Fiat 500 X. The big thing about this car is its chunky looks, so let's start there Jess. Do you like it?
She: I'm on the fence. Initially I did not like it, but the overall design grew on me while I had the car. There are a few things I do not like; the splash of orange on the dash dials, the little cartoon Jeep on the edge of the windscreen and the design of the rear lights in particular. I felt they made the car feel quite childlike. These 'cute' design choices may resonate with certain drivers but not for me. Despite this, I felt overall it looked like a fun car. Did the design resonate with you?
He: You know what, I actually like all those design touches. Okay, maybe the fact there are 40-odd 'easter eggs' hidden around the car - from the Willys Jeep on the windscreen to the seven-bar grille and headlights stamped on the side of the rain-sensing wiper system - is going a bit far but I think the car is clearly a caricature of a Jeep and they add to the youthful appeal of it. Take them away though and the cabin is quite well laid out with excellent vision, plenty of hidey holes and connections for phones and gadgets as well as decent space (for a city car) with enough headroom for a giraffe. Considering its primary purpose is to to tackle the urban jungle, what did you think of the way it drove?
She: For the most part, I enjoyed the drive. Being a mini SUV it had no problems absorbing uneven surfaces and overall it felt solid and safe. I had a little issue with the gear selections at times but I was expecting this as I experienced it in the 500X. Also the sunroof would rattle at times if I was driving over particularly rough surfaces. However, considering that this is a mini SUV, it doesn't feel as if they have sacrificed on space with an incredibly comfortable cabin. Visibility, as you mentioned, was brilliant and the safety features and technology made driving and manoeuvring the car very easy. Did you think the technology included is good value?
He: Value; well, that's the elephant in the room with the Renegade because it is rather more costly than most city-sized SUV rivals. The mid-spec Longtitude we're testing costs $33,000 (plus on-road costs) which is about $10k above other models in this class. It's a fairly hefty premium to pay in a competitive segment, but the Renegade does come with a fair amount of gear, including 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, a colour touch screen multi media system and a swag of safety features such as reverse camera, blind spot monitoring and seven airbags. I agree that the dual-clutch auto displays some of the bug bears of its type, such as being a bit hesitant away from a standstill, but I thought the 1.4-litre turbo engine was a good fit for the car. How about you Jess?
She: I found the engine was very capable, with plenty of torque for any urban requirements. The steering was intuitive and the car felt fairly balanced, with firm suspension, however I felt the nose dived a bit if you were too heavy on the brakes. I managed to take the Renegade around some pretty steep urban areas and the car handled both the declines and inclines without any issue - suggesting that it would be fairly capable in any off-road situation. I didn't feel the fuel economy was anything outstanding, but it definitely would not be a deal breaker either. Would you agree Andrew?
He: Well, I wouldn't take this particular model of the Renegade off the beaten track as it's only front-wheel drive. But, if you are a bit more adventurous, there is the Trailhawk model that has a specific all-wheel drive transmission with a low-range gearbox as well as additional ride height and shallower bumper bars for extra ground clearance. It's surprisingly capable, but at $40,000 it commands a fairly high premium for such a small car. At the end of the day, as much as I like the Renegade for its unique style and the fact it drives pretty well, its price - across the entire range - can't be ignored and I think there are better value small SUVs in this growing segment. How about you Jess; would it be on your shopping list?
She: No, the Jeep would not make my shopping list. The few bug bears mentioned before as well as the higher investment would definitely make me shy away from purchasing this car. As you said, the competition is pretty fierce in this category and I feel there are some worthy competitors that I would definitely consider before looking at the Jeep.
2016 Jeep Renegade Longitude pricing and specifications
Price: $33,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.4-litre four cylinder turbo petrol
Power: 103kW at 5000rpm
Torque: 230Nm at 3000rpm
Transmission: 6-spd dual-clutch automatic
Fuel use: 5.9L/100km