Jeep has been off the radar in Ireland for far too long. The iconic brand had its 15 minutes of fame back in the day when Boyzone were on the rise. It was a time when image conscious people could afford to be a little foolish with their cash when buying ‘wheels’. The last number of years have been dreadful for Jeep in Ireland. Inevitably the market shifted and Jeep didn’t. Virtually abandoned, Jeep as a brand has some serious catching up to do to win back public confidence. Jeep has invested a lot into the new five-seat machine, that will be sold globally, and thankfully it’s just what the doctor ordered.
Renegade features lots of clever design detailing. Homage to the WW2 Willys Jeep can be seen in its chunky shape and of course there is that classic slotted grille. Even the taillights are inspired by the classic ‘Jerry Can’ shape. Renegade looks tough yet cute too. It also features quite a high sill, so you do need to raise your feet a good bit getting in and out and this is a nod to its off-road ability, especially in AWD form.
We took to the beautiful grounds of the Glendalough Estate in Wicklow in a 140hp AWD version fitted with standard road tyres. Renegade impressed us with its traction and precision - a word not often used in the same sentence as Jeep!
We were genuinely able to go where most ‘soft’ roaders wouldn’t dare. A new and clever 4X4 system features that distributes traction between axles for added traction seamlessly. Renegade drives predominantly in front-wheel drive on the road. On rural roads the same car proved surefooted on damp surfaces and had plenty of torque.
We took a more affordable 120hp, 1.6-litre, front-wheel drive Renegade (expected volume selling engine) for an extended test and it performed perfectly fine on motorway and back roads.
Inside the build quality is solid and while there is plenty of low quality plastic on display the cabin is a nice place to be. Again clever styling features are in place and there is a sense of fun to Renegade that will make you smile. Personalisation is the big thing with Renegade and there is a blinding amount of options etc. that can make your Renegade stand out from the crowd – after all isn’t that a key part of being a Renegade! Standard specification levels are called: Sport, Longitude, Limited and the range topping Trailhawk. Trailhawk gets lots of toys but also the most off-road capability with ‘Jeep Active Drive Low’, ‘Selec-Terrain’, ‘Hill Descent Control’ and ‘Rock Mode’ – worth the premium for that name alone! Trailhawk is also 30mm higher that the front-wheel drive Renegade for extra ground clearance. We like the double sunroof too, that actually opens!
Going forward, the biggest issue for the Italian built Renegade will be actually selling them. Jeep lacks a large dealer network – in fact it only has 7 in Ireland!
Buyers who manage to seek out a Renegade won’t be disappointed. Jeep tells us we can expect lots of new product in the coming years too. 2016 is an important year for Ireland but for Jeep too, as it marks its 75th anniversary.
Renegade is one Jeep you won’t lose your shirt on. We like it… a lot.
Michael Sheridan
