The Jeep Wrangler is one of the best looking and hardiest rides of all time (in my opinion) but Jeep, who are now part of the Fiat company are moving in a new direction. Enter the 2015 Jeep Renegade. Essentially a 4×4 for city drivers which is still available with off-road capabilities.
The new Jeep sits alongside the likes of the Mini Countryman in terms of size (although it is a hell of a lot better looking) but how does it drive? We headed to the East cost of Scotland to put the 4×4 and 2 wheel drive versions to the test.
The car itself is pretty rugged looking both inside and out, the typical Jeep grill and headlights are present although I wasn’t as keen on the dominating plastic trim. Inside to the car is functional and rugged with a very good finish. The higher end models are available with a beats audio system which is a nice touch, but I am not sure it will be of much pull to the target market…
To get things started we took the 2 wheel drive model for a spin. It handled pretty well and offered a nice smooth and comfortable ride. It takes the corners well with good grip too. One gripe was the slightly sluggish sat nav system which was a bit of a pain to follow when concentrating on your drive.
Now for the fun part. We switched into the 2.0 MultiJet II Diesel 4WD Manual model and headed for the beach. Across the wet sand, rugged rocky terrain and hills the car worked well. I am far from a confident off-road driver but found the functions easy to use and took on the challenges with little problems at all.
So would we recommend the Jeep Renegade?
On first impressions we didn’t like the look of this car, but the more we saw of it and drove on it a soft spot developed. This model is available in 11 colours (the most ever) and with a wide range of interior customisation options which is a step in the right direction for the manufacturer.
Drive wise too we found little that we disliked but it all boils down to price. In terms of the comparable competitors you can probably get a little bit more for your money if you opt for the standard 2 wheel drive option. If you are looking for something of a 4 wheel drive variety it is maybe a slightly better proposition.