Image via Complex Original
For the second time in a row, Jeep debuts a vehicle that gets the "wow, that's so weird and interesting that I dig it" response or the "wtf, mate, that thing is ugly as hell" retort. That vehicle is the brand spankin' new Renegade, the first Jeep result of the Fiat and Chrysler merger. It's small, it's funky, it's Jeepy, and it's shaking up the way you look at the capabilities of this segment. So what do you need to know? Why does it look like that? What kind of engines does it come with? Can it still Jeep? Let us tell you with these 6 Things To Know About the Pint-Sized Jeep Renegade.
There isn't a diesel engine option.
Sorry to kill your hopes and dreams right off the bat, but the Cherokee was the SUV to debut with the turbocharged diesel in Geneva, not the Renegade. However, the other two options should still make you pretty happy. You can get a 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine that makes 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque or you can get the 2.4L MultiAir2 Tigershark engine that has 184 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque.
You can choose between a 9-speed auto or 6-speed manual.
The 1.4L MultiAir Turbo mates with the 6-speed manual gearbox, and the 2.4L MultiAir2 Tigershark mates with the 9-speed automatic.
This is the first car in its segment to offer an auto with that many gears. It has a 4.71 first-gear ratio, and this transmission has some brains. There are at least 20 different shift maps programmed that will change based on various driving factors like acceleration, driving grade, temperature and speed, and stability control activation. All of these things are taken into account to make the shifting as smooth and as efficient as possible. And with 9 speeds, this thing is going to be smooth, trust us.
Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America are all getting a dual dry clutch 6-speed. America does not, they just get a regular 6-speed manual. Europe and Asia are also getting a 5-speed.
It's a Fiat.
The Renegade shares the "small-wide" platform that the Fiat 500L has. Yeah, that's the four-door Fiat you've seen in those weird Diddy commercials recently. It will be built in the Melfi assembly plant in Italy, the first Jeep to do this, while the engines will be produced in the U.S. and Brazil. This is all the result of the Chrysler/Fiat merger that went down recently.
It can still get dirty.
Here is what we know about the off-roading capabilities and systems of the new Trailhawk Renegade:
- Active Drive Low 4x4 system (20:1 crawl ratio)
- Has Selec-Terrain System with five modes (auto, snow, sand, mud, rock)
- Rides 0.8 inches higher than base model
- Skid plates, front and rear tow hooks
- 30.5-degree approach, 25.7-degree breakover, and 34.3-degree departure angles
- 17-inch all-terrain tires
- 8.1 inches of wheel articulation
- 8.7 inches of ground clearance
- Hill-descent Control
- Up to 19 inches of "water fording"
Also offered on the Renegade will be a 4x4 system with a disconnecting rear axle, so you can beef up efficiency when you don't need all four wheels running power.
The My Sky sunroof is removable.
That's right. You can take off the roof panels. It's a 4x4. It's small. It comes in a manual transmission. But it's not a wrangler.
It's already Mopar-friendly.
When this little pup goes on sale, there will already be more than 100 Mopar goodies to choose from. Jeeps already have extremely strong personalities, and the styling on the Renegade takes that even further. Add into the mix the fact that you can throw on lowering kits, cat back exhausts, cold air intakes, camping tents, canoe carriers, and air deflectors and you can make this car any way you want it.