2015 Jeep Renegade

You know, I adamantly disliked that first picture, but the red one and the side-on shot on page two have me rethinking that. It has potential, but it's no beauty queen from the factory. With good mileage and decent offroad ability - not talking rock crawling - I wouldn't hate on it. As mentioned it provides an alternative to Subarus anyway.

ultraclyde wrote: You know, I adamantly disliked that first picture, but the red one and the side-on shot on page two have me rethinking that. It has potential, but it's no beauty queen from the factory. With good mileage and decent offroad ability - not talking rock crawling - I wouldn't hate on it. As mentioned it provides an alternative to Subarus anyway.

I was thinking it would be a good challenge to the SV Cross Trek, which is itself a good challenge to the Juke and maybe Mini Countryman. Any of those cars spec'd like you would want to buy one are not exactly cheap (mid-20's) and the Mini is stupid expensive. Could be an interesting new sub-niche that seems popular in Europe at any rate, sort of where the Suzuki SX4 tried to fit in.

I think it looks kinda neat. And frankly, while I know some people will go straight there, I'm completely baffled by buying a new vehicle and taking it seriously off road. Too much probability of damage for that to make sense to me.

I'm sure this thing is capable of driving any surface I would want to take a shiny, $20k+ vehicle on.

Further proving that my off-road cred consists of an unquenched hankering for Tonka toys, I want to see pics of one on some more aggressive tires and wheels (which it probably doesn't need for any place it's capable of traveling).

Although I like to trail around in the woods, I'm fairly certain an SX4 with the aftermarket 2" lift kit and a set of cast off wrangler stock wheels/tires will happily go anywhere I want.

Given our most recent winter these should sell like crazy in Atlanta.

After the Compass/Patriot, I see nothing wrong here.

Flight Service wrote: Which Fiat is that based off of and why?

It's on the same platform as the 500L and 500X. Why it's not closer to a Panda 4x4, I do not know, but it's the "Wide" platform, because, you know, all of us Americans are fat bastards.

Someone call the ambulance, I think I'm vomiting feces at the sight of that.

Flight Service wrote: The current Cherokee on the other hand....

If they had given the Cherokee a similar grill/headlight treatment I think everything would have been ok, but instead they made it look like an insect.

Here's a Cherokee chop with a GC headlight treatment:

Evan - I learned this trick with my wifes Focus (not rated in the US). Go on the UK website of said manufacturer and locate the towing spec. In my case it was 500KG and in the 500Ls case it is 400kg unbraked and 1100kg with trailer brakes. I say buy one, slap an aftermarket bar on and tow a thousand pounds with with ease. If you are thinking small trailer and a dirt bike or two, you should be golden.

EvanR wrote: Here's the deal, Jeep lovers: There's this thing called CAFE, and what it basically means is that if you want Jeep to continue selling the 18MPG Wrangler, they have GOT to sell something to balance out that dismal fuel economy. That's how things work nowadays. I'm all right with you hating the fact that they *may* call it "Renegade". But if you want to continue buying Wranglers, you're just going to have to cope with it being called "Jeep". All that having been said. I like it. If they can figure out a way to give it a 1000lb tow rating (the FIAT 500L has no tow rating) I will buy one to replace my 1st-gen Scion xB.

I actually kind of like this little thing. Once I have gone past the point of car seats in my life, I might consider one. It is WWAYYY better looking than the 500L and if it does alright in the snow and gets mid 30s on the highway, I could see this in my garage in the future.

It looks like the perfect vehicle for off road driving hamsters.

I too think it looks better than the 500L at least.

It looks cool in a funky kind of way, I'll wait to see it before I hate on it, and if its "off road" ability is a full notch above a Forrester (its likely competition) I'd call it a success.

singleslammer wrote: I actually kind of like this little thing. Once I have gone past the point of car seats in my life, I might consider one. It is WWAYYY better looking than the 500L and if it does alright in the snow and gets mid 30s on the highway, I could see this in my garage in the future.

Dude, if this thing get 30 mpg in AWD, sign me up.

I like it. Oodles better looking than the Cherokee.

Showed it to Ms. Service and she liked it.

Maybe that is the niche, the cute-ute category. Because she thinks the GC is awesome and the Cherokee blows.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: Jalopnik apparently got a leaked picture.

Except it isn't a "picture" its a rendering, but then again Jalopnik's journalistic integrity isn't exactly something to bank on. Also most "leaked" pictures are really just something the marketing teams do on purpose to determine the market size and gauge feedback (though the feedback is generally ignored).

Meh, I kinda like it.

In reply to turboswede:

I'm not standing up for Jalopnik and yes sometimes pics are "leaked" to get public reaction, but the couple they were given are not "renderings". The press photos were released late last night, they just got a couple early.

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/03/04/2015-jeep-renegade-deep-dive-official-photos-geneva/

I think it’s got a “scrappy little scamp” thing going for it and many will assume the seven point grill will add around 8 to 10 degrees of slope angle capability. Basically, it’ll eat into Subaru’s market drawing away buyers that are willing to trade reliability and resale value for a less eco-nerd image.

I got a Patriot as a rental car recently and I really couldn’t find anything to complain about. I usually get a high trim level Edge and its techno junk drives me crazy…turn signals flash a few times after you shut them off (because they can), the seat moves backwards when you remove the key (totally unnecessary given the upright seating position), a commercial pilot’s license is required to operate the user interface for the HVAC / entertainment system…%$@#@&, can I have the 80’s back?

A Kia Soul with AWD? I like it.

I saw one on the road today. All white, no chrome, body colered bumpers. I only saw it from the front. It looked real good. I was surprised.

From Geneva via Car and Driver

"The Renegade will be available with 16 powertrain combinations in markets around the world, but U.S. buyers will have just two options. The base engine is the 1.4-liter turbo four from the Fiat 500 Abarth, here producing 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque and paired exclusively with a six-speed manual. The step-up powertrain is a 2.4-liter Tigershark four-cylinder that makes 184 horses and 177 lb-ft, and which backs up exclusively to Chrysler’s nine-speed automatic. Both powertrains can be had in front- or four-wheel-drive form. Jeep claims a class-leading coefficient of drag, and says that its B-segment crossover will deliver 30-plus mpg on the EPA highway cycle. That would put the Renegade right on par with the mileage delivered by the Soul and Juke."

I'll have to go for a drive around the Chrysler proving grounds site over in Chelsea around noon .The test drivers bring all kinds of vehicles into town when they go out for lunch.

If the AWD version is cheaper and gets better mileage than a Subaru, which shouldn't be too tough, they will sell a ton of them here in snow country.

Flight Service wrote: From Geneva via Car and Driver "The Renegade will be available with 16 powertrain combinations in markets around the world, but U.S. buyers will have just two options. The base engine is the 1.4-liter turbo four from the Fiat 500 Abarth, here producing 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque and paired exclusively with a six-speed manual. The step-up powertrain is a 2.4-liter Tigershark four-cylinder that makes 184 horses and 177 lb-ft, and which backs up exclusively to Chrysler’s nine-speed automatic. Both powertrains can be had in front- or four-wheel-drive form. Jeep claims a class-leading coefficient of drag, and says that its B-segment crossover will deliver 30-plus mpg on the EPA highway cycle. That would put the Renegade right on par with the mileage delivered by the Soul and Juke."

Whoa whoa whoa, hold up. I can buy it with a six speed manual and the turbo from the Abarth AND awd? How the hell can you guys hate on that?