Jeep has made their entry in the compact crossover segment through launching the Renegade. The vehicle actually surprised us as it comes with a nice design that completes and overall gentle look. The law of attraction brought us to a Jeep showroom yesterday and there we tested the vehicle.
Apparently, the Renegade is not about its looks. There are plenty of other things that it has to offer aside from being pretty. For starters, we have to applause the nicely-themed interior which is very comfortable. It didn’t take us long to adjust ourselves when in the Renegade. The only setback here is with the rear seats that are a little bit too hard for comfort.
Under the hood, the Renegade is towed by a 2L 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine that develops 138hp through a 6-speed manual gearbox. This allows the Renegade to sprint from 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds while having the top speed capped at 110mph.
When on the road, the Renegade feels underpowered as if something is not right. The suspensions too can get real hard. When off the road however, the Renegade turns to a powerful monster like most other vehicles from Jeep.
The 4×4 comes with the latest off-roading technology, as well as a high ground clearance to make it a champion when on the dirt trail. The Renegade is simply a nice, energetic ride that will definitely appeal the adventurous folks.
While it all sounds great, the Renegade off-roading obsession can be its own downfall. After all, the compact SUV segment is popular because of its reliability, low running cost and fuel economy. The Renegade does not offer either of that which could disrupt its sales. Yes, the Renegade is an off-road beast but unfortunately, only a small handful is passionate about it.
