Jeep Renegade Limited 2016 Review

Jeep Renegade Limited
Road Test

In upper-level Limited form the Jeep Renegade has undeniable appeal for those seeking something a bit different but who may not baulk at the segment-straddling high prices. At $36,000 (plus on-road costs), the Limited version of the Renegade competes against the likes of Mazda's CX-5 and Hyundai's Tucson, and not the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V which it matches dimensionally.

The Fiat Chrysler Group in Australia has a history of pulling-off head-office pricing deals that are the envy of its competitors. This has been the chief raison d'etre behind the company's local success in recent years, where cars like the Chrysler 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee have made a dent in the marketplace that otherwise may not have been possible.

That policy seemed to go out the window with the recently-launched Renegade mini SUV.

Although everything about the snazzy little Jeep says it is a clear competitor for the likes of Mazda's CX-3 and Honda's HR-V, rather than the larger Mazda CX-5 or Honda CR-V, the pricing tends to suggest otherwise.

Despite recent price reductions, the Jeep remains a generally more expensive proposition than its natural competitors – and even some of its unnatural competitors: Opening at $29,000 (drive-away), the Renegade sits uncomfortably close to base-level Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V and the new Hyundai Tucson even when on-road costs are factored in.

Clearly the Renegade's first task is to define exactly what it is, while at the same time mounting a convincing argument that it rates consideration by Australian buyers.

For starters, the Renegade's dimensions place it clearly in the mini SUV class.

It matches the Mazda CX-3 in wheelbase – although it is well down on the HR-V – and is trumped by both in overall length. It's wider and taller though, which tends to help in overall packaging; cabin and boot space are pretty competitive. In fact it offers more seats-folded loading space than either, although at 351 litres with all seats up, it's well behind the Honda's massive-for-class 453 litres.

As for the driving force, the light-class SUV offerings are a bit more diverse.

The Jeep Renegade offers the choice between two naturally-aspirated petrol four-cylinders – a base-model-only 81kW/152Nm 1.6-litre and a 129kW/230Nm 2.4-litre that is exclusive to the only AWD Renegade, the $40,000 (before ORCs) Trailhawk – and a 103kW/230Nm 1.4-litre turbo.

In the Mazda, the decision is between a 114kW/200Nm 2.0-litre petrol and a 109kW/192Nm 1.5-litre turbo-diesel, while the Honda comes with just a 105kW/172Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

So, generally, if you look at the mini SUVs we've mentioned here – and even those not mentioned such as the Holden Trax, Ford EcoSport, Mitsubishi ASX and Nissan's groovy JUKE – the front-drive centric (an all-wheel drive Trailhawk version is available) Jeep is a pretty close match.

Where it does begin to grab some traction though is in its looks and, to some extent, its packaging.

No question, the Renegade is something of a head-turner with its tending-to-quirky, love it or hate it styling. Through extending the windscreen way forward, giving it a long roofline and lengthy, deep side windows and emphasising a slightly broad-shouldered stance, the micro Jeep actually looks reasonably substantial, especially with the 18-inch alloy wheels and 225/55-series tyres that are standard fare on the Limited specification model tested here.

And cabin space does turn out to be pretty good, with sufficient air between rear passengers' shins and the front seat backrest – even when a lot of the seat travel is being used up – and plenty of headroom.

The combination of an airy glasshouse and decidedly funky, verging on gaudy interior furnishings brings a fresh, cheerful and spacious atmosphere that complements the extrovert styling and tends to drive away any mite-size suggestions. The Renegade neither looks small, nor feels cramped. The only real downside is the poor rearward vision towards the C-pillars.

Despite the cheeky interior, everything works in a generally conventional way and controls are placed logically for intuitive operation: There's a reasonable-size touch screen (complete with Since 1941 script) in dash centre, a conventional two-dial instrument display, easily-accessed HVAC controls and an in-dash grab handle for the front passenger in nervous moments. The sound system is a nine-speaker BeatsAudio and there's a Chrysler Uconnect radio with Bluetooth and integrated voice command.

Soft-touch materials on the multi-toned dash combine with an overall neat presentation help give a feeling of quality. The driver and front-seat occupant have no problem settling in comfortably via eight-way power-adjusted, heated (as is the steering wheel) and well-shaped leather-trimmed seats.

All Renegades get seven airbags, cruise control, reversing camera, an electric parking brake and cruise control, while standard equipment in the Limited version runs to sat-nav, blind-spot monitoring, rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, electrochromatic rear-view mirror, bi-xenon headlights and deep-tinted glass, all of which go some of the way to justifying the $36k sticker price.

Access to the boot is via a quick, easy, one-motion folding of the rear seats, while the centre seat folds down individually, Tiguan-style, for loading of long items without surrendering all the rear-seat space.

On the road, the Renegade Limited is a pretty brisk performer. It delivers plenty of punch via the nifty 1.4-litre turbo that offers a handy power spread with its 230Nm coming on stream from just 1750rpm.

The quick steering (2.7 turns from lock to lock) is positively sporty, responding confidently to driver inputs and is light enough – as you'd expect, given the fact it's a light SUV – to take the sweat out of manoeuvring into tight parking spots.

In terms of handling, the front-drive Renegade is balanced and lean-resistant although, not unexpectedly, the ride – though entirely acceptable – tends towards short-travel firm. It is not in the same league as many of its competitors, especially those in the mid-size class. The brake pedal in our test car (vented discs are used at the front, solid at the rear) felt vague too, and took some time getting used to.

The biggest let-down in this tester's opinion is the six-speed dual-clutch transmission which lacks the smoothness and seamlessness of the best of the DCTs and makes low-speed crawling in traffic a lumpy, often unpleasant business. The clutch can be felt engaging during selection of forward and reverse, and the box is often frustratingly slow to downshift. At worst, the clutch will delay take up from a standing uphill start, allowing the Renegade to roll back as the driver applies the accelerator – a discomfiting experience for following drivers and one we didn't like at all.

Not atypically, we failed to match the officially-claimed – and idle-stop-assisted – combined 5.9L/100km fuel consumption with an all-up figure of 7.9L over a week of driving in a variety of conditions. What made it worse is that Jeep recommends a diet of 95 RON PULP.

Those things considered, it might seem strange that we came away from our Renegade experience liking the car, particularly its looks and its snazzy interior.

But we also came away wishing it followed the normal Chrysler/Jeep practice of spruiking an irresistible price list.

2016 Jeep Renegade Limited pricing and specifications:
Price: $36,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 103kW/230Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 137g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Mazda CX-3 (from $19,990 plus ORCs)
>> Honda HR-V (from $24,990 plus ORCs)
>> Mitsubishi ASX (from $24,990 plus ORCs)