Jeep isn’t just an American brand. It’s a global icon. And suitably, near the one of the headquarters of the United Nations, the Jeep Renegade is making its world debut.
The 2015 Jeep Renegade, which will reach dealerships in the U.S. the third quarter of this year—and Europe this summer—is being shown here at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show. It follows the new Cherokee in presenting a Jeep that will play as well in Turin as it will in the brand’s Toledo (Ohio) home.
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The Renegade, which will be built in Melfi, Italy, for the world market, is cute yet ruggedly handsome; and carlike but tough enough to live up to the brand’s rugged reputation.
Interior design chief Klaus Busse notes that the Renegade was designed by young people, for young people who do extreme sports or backpacking. The color palette will mix those influences on the outside, with what this set, along with most shoppers for an affordable vehicle such as this want: a more refined, subtle look inside.
Jeep is truly going global. And that means American-size vehicle and American-size thirst won’t quite work. At less than 167 inches long, the 2015 Jeep Renegade fits just below the Compass and/or Patriot in the U.S. market.
Developed with Fiat, but not a 'badge job'
The Renegade’s underpinnings aren’t completely new, but it’s far from a badge job. It’s built on a new small-wide architecture that’s an evolution of what underpins the Fiat 500L—and will be shared, mostly, by the upcoming Fiat 500X. The Renegade and 500L might still be related, but in order to engineer in the packaging, the design, and the toughness and 4WD that Jeep wanted, the Renegade got different front frame rails, a revised rear suspension, a new fuel tank, and all sorts of other body improvements. There’s a completely different driving position here than in the 500L as well—with the steering wheel moved to accommodate it.
The lineup of powertrains in the Renegade will truly be global as well. While international versions will get a wider range of gasoline engines, most with stop-start, we’ll get a base 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo, making 160 hp and 184 lb-ft. It will be offered with a base six-speed manual gearbox and a choice between front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. The step-up engine for America will be a 2.4-liter Tigershark in-line four, making 184 hp and 177 pound-feet of torque.
European versions of the Renegade will also offer a 1.6-liter ‘E.torQ’ engine that’s fitted with stop-start and a five-speed manual tuned for fuel-efficiency. Europe, as well will be able to specify two different MultiJet II turbo-diesel engines—a 1.6-liter and a 2.0-liter—with the latter engine making up to 258 pound-feet of torque. Even the smaller one makes 118 hp and 236 pound-feet and is “a leader among engines with displacements of 1.8 liters or less.”(source-thecarconnection.com)
The 2015 Jeep Renegade, which will reach dealerships in the U.S. the third quarter of this year—and Europe this summer—is being shown here at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show. It follows the new Cherokee in presenting a Jeep that will play as well in Turin as it will in the brand’s Toledo (Ohio) home.
ALSO SEE: New Study Shows That Marijuana May Be Deadly For Drivers
The Renegade, which will be built in Melfi, Italy, for the world market, is cute yet ruggedly handsome; and carlike but tough enough to live up to the brand’s rugged reputation.
Interior design chief Klaus Busse notes that the Renegade was designed by young people, for young people who do extreme sports or backpacking. The color palette will mix those influences on the outside, with what this set, along with most shoppers for an affordable vehicle such as this want: a more refined, subtle look inside.
Jeep is truly going global. And that means American-size vehicle and American-size thirst won’t quite work. At less than 167 inches long, the 2015 Jeep Renegade fits just below the Compass and/or Patriot in the U.S. market.
Developed with Fiat, but not a 'badge job'
The Renegade’s underpinnings aren’t completely new, but it’s far from a badge job. It’s built on a new small-wide architecture that’s an evolution of what underpins the Fiat 500L—and will be shared, mostly, by the upcoming Fiat 500X. The Renegade and 500L might still be related, but in order to engineer in the packaging, the design, and the toughness and 4WD that Jeep wanted, the Renegade got different front frame rails, a revised rear suspension, a new fuel tank, and all sorts of other body improvements. There’s a completely different driving position here than in the 500L as well—with the steering wheel moved to accommodate it.
The lineup of powertrains in the Renegade will truly be global as well. While international versions will get a wider range of gasoline engines, most with stop-start, we’ll get a base 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo, making 160 hp and 184 lb-ft. It will be offered with a base six-speed manual gearbox and a choice between front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. The step-up engine for America will be a 2.4-liter Tigershark in-line four, making 184 hp and 177 pound-feet of torque.
European versions of the Renegade will also offer a 1.6-liter ‘E.torQ’ engine that’s fitted with stop-start and a five-speed manual tuned for fuel-efficiency. Europe, as well will be able to specify two different MultiJet II turbo-diesel engines—a 1.6-liter and a 2.0-liter—with the latter engine making up to 258 pound-feet of torque. Even the smaller one makes 118 hp and 236 pound-feet and is “a leader among engines with displacements of 1.8 liters or less.”(source-thecarconnection.com)
