Jeep Renegade review
The Renegade brings Jeep’s rugged off-roading heritage to the small crossover world. Underneath those inspiring, chunky and purposeful looks it’s really like a friendly family hatchback with extra capabilities to tackle difficult terrain, when required. Plus, it’s got bags of character and the cabin is well-equipped and well-built, too. Find out what we think in our road-tested Jeep Renegade review.
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Pros
- Easy to fuel
- Great around town
- High driving position
Cons
- Can be expensive on fuel
- Rivals offer more boot space
Interior
Our rating: 6/10
How big is the Renegade? Well, its styling makes it look bigger than it really is.
It’s a little smaller than a Qashqai-type of medium crossover and larger than a supermini or small crossover like a Juke.
The Jeep Renegade looks chunky in photos – and up close, too.
Driving position
Be thankful for the big door mirrors and multi-adjustable driving position — they make it much easier to drive the Jeep.
With such an upright body shape, it’s no surprise passengers have plenty of headroom.
Tech and features
Legroom, however, is much better in the front than in the back.
Taller adults may feel cramped but kids will be fine. It’s certainly better suited to two than three occupants.
Overall the interior matches the outside in some ways — it’s rugged and hard-wearing. The dashboard is big and chunky.
The controls are nice and sturdy, and most of the trim materials feel like they will put up with years of abuse.
The tech is up-to-date thanks to an eight-inch-detailed touchscreen system controlling all infotainment, phone connectivity, heating and air-conditioning.
You’ll find a wide range of options have been supplemented on Renegades over the years.
It’s still generally considered a well-equipped range. Even base models have a good standard of kit and most versions feature cruise control, sat-nav and parking sensors.
Performance
Our rating: 6/10
Handling and ride comfort
There’s no need to worry that you’re buying a tractor. It’s easy to drive a Renegade on your usual roads and routes.
It can be fun too, thanks to a commanding high driving position and impressive grip.
Drivers will, however, have to get used to the rugged aspects of how this car navigates the road.
A selection of clunkier, sluggish gearboxes and a softer ride are to be expected.
The pay-off is that this is a true 4x4, not just a mainstream crossover dressed in a trendy outfit. It’s also available with a range of practical features, designed to help you ford rivers, climb banks and descend steep inclines.
Top-rated models get a sporty petrol motor, four-wheel drive and a sophisticated nine-speed automatic gearbox.
If you have a need for speed, the fastest Renegade is actually the new plug-in hybrid.
Practicality
Our rating: 6/10
Safety
The baby Jeep scores very highly for safety.
The Renegade come with a long list of high-tech standard safety equipment like lane-departure warnings, road sign reading and automatic emergency braking.
Some get a reversing camera, which helps overcome the limited rear visibility. The Renegade has done very well in official safety tests.
Boot space
The tailgate is nice and big. With the back seats in place, the boot isn’t as big as some rivals.
It is a neat uniform shape, which helps when packing even the most awkward-shaped farming kit. The good news is that folding the rear seats more than triples the available space.
Most Renegade seats split in the normal 60/40 style. A more versatile 40/20/40 split is available and is a rather handy option.
Some versions also get a useful adjustment for the height of the boot floor to make loading heavy objects easier. Note that cabin stowage space improved after the 2018 refresh.
Running costs
Our rating: 6/10
Fuel economy
You’ll be able to find manuals, automatics, two - and four-wheel drive models with a range of petrol, diesel and hybrid engines.
The line-up can be confusing with some versions differentiated only by their power output.
It means there is a wide range of fuel economy options available — from a humble 1.6-litre diesel with two-wheel drive to the top-spec four-wheel drive petrol version.
Look forward to the new plug-in petrol hybrids being available to used buyers – they offer very low emissions and great economy with fuel consumption officially rated at 128mpg.
Its 26-mile, the electric-only range is less impressive though.
Reliability
Jeep reliability hasn’t always been the best. Under Fiat’s control, the early signs are that it is improving.
Note that used Renegades may still be covered by a three-year warranty from new and this has been extended to five years for the hybrid model.
The verdict
Interior
6/10
Performance
6/10
Practicality
6/10
Running costs
6/10
It’s a mini-SUV with a famous all-American badge, which can operate perfectly well as a small family hatchback on British roads too.
The Renegade’s plus points include a good level of onboard kit, a strong safety record and head-turning looks.
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