Admittedly the Multijet diesel is all done by 3500rpm and becomes excessively noisy after 4000rpm, but the well-spaced ratios in the slick six-speed manual gearbox mean the limited rev range is no bugbear.
Through corners, the Renegade is adequately balanced and composed, and it's easy to drive thanks to well-judged control responses and weights. The ride is not the smoothest, though. Large bumps are dealt with in a fairly adept fashion, but smaller cracks and imperfections in the asphalt cause it to fidget.
Its bluff front and substantial mirrors lead to a lot of wind noise at speed, too, although the engine remains quiet, turning over at a sensible 2000rpm at 70mph.
Inside you’ll find plenty of room, both front and rear, although the front seats could do with more padding; they're not particularly comfortable over longer distances. The quality of the cabin is acceptable, however, with some plush door cards and neat details going some way to compensating for dull, flimsy-feeling switchgear.
Limited versions of the Renegade are competitive on the kit front, featuring standard-fit dual-zone climate control, a touchscreen navigation system, DAB radio and cruise control. Safety is also a key strong point, with the Jeep attaining a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating and coming with a battery of standard electronic aids such as trailer sway damping and lane departure warning.
Should I buy one?
The Renegade puts in an admirable performance, but it’s just too expensive, even in this Limited specification. The equally distinctive Citroën C4 Cactus, for example, costs £18,090 in an equivalent configuration. That’s £4805 less than the Jeep.
The Citroën is also VED-free and more economical. If the Jeep had four-wheel drive as standard, it would have considerably more merit, but you'll have to pay even more for one with that feature.
So unless you must have something with a seven-bar grille, or find the Renegade’s chunky looks and oddball detailing so compelling as to outweigh its premium and minor flaws, we’d recommend looking elsewhere.
Jeep Renegade 1.6 Multijet II Limited 120
Location Edinburgh; On sale Now; Price £22,895; Engine 4 cyls, 1598cc, turbodiesel; Power 118bhp at 3750rpm; Torque 236lb ft at 1750rpm; Gearbox 6-spd manual; Kerb weight 1404kg; Top speed 111mph; 0-62mph 10.2sec; Economy 61.4mpg (combined); CO2/tax band 120g/km, 20%
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fatboyfat
Its own competition will be the 500X
Daniel Joseph
Very disappointing.
Sam_notts
Will Jeep be next?
superstevie
Like the looks, but that
Dear Autocar website designers,
I understand your need to bring revenue in with advertising. However, can you do it in a way that makes your site usable please?
Thanks
xanderbrown
I recently sat in one of
kaleuclint
xanderbrown wrote:a proper
That requires a definition.
The "Since 1941" / 'mud' on the redline affectations are reason enough to avoid this. It's all past glories.
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