The baby jeep has finally been shown to the world in production form and this time it is at the 2014 New York Auto Show. We are talking about the Jeep Renegade which was unveiled in concept form in March of this year. It is slated to be delivered to its buyers by the end of this year with prices starting from 18,500 USD (Rs 11.16 lakh).
The B-segment (for America) SUV is based on the same platform as the upcoming Fiat 500X and even shares the same engine line up which has now been revealed to be two petrol engines- the 1.4-litre MultiAir Turbo or the more powerful 2.4-litre TigerShark engine. The former produces 160bhp and is mated to a six-speed manual while the latter produces 184bhp and is mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox.
We also expect that in European markets and ones like India, there will also be the option of at least two diesel engines which are expected to be the 1.6-litre Multijet and the 2.0-litre Multijet diesel units.
Its off-road pedigree includes the Jeep Active low-drive system, select-terrain system and a 0.8-inch lift with off-road suspension as well as hill descent control, so as you can see, its small but still appears to be extremely capable when the urge to go mud plugging is too strong.
In terms of external as well as internal design, the smaller Renegade borrows much from the larger Cherokee and this includes the overall design on all four sides as well as the signature Jeep slatted grille. The interiors too have been borrowed from the larger car but have been scaled down to size for the smaller SUV. It is available in two models-Trail Hawk and Latitiude, of which, the former is the more off-roading model while the latter is a more jazzed up city cruiser.
The Jeep Renegade is expected to be followed very soon by the Fiat 500X which will have a similar setup in terms of engines and underpinnings but with the obvious Italian curves on the outside that define a Fiat model.
Jeep will also launch the Renegade in the Chinese market and will unveil it at the upcoming Beijing Motor Show which is set to begin on April 21. Fiat India has put its Jeep plans on hold for the moment but we expect that when the brand is launched, the Renegade will be a part of the action plan and the models being offered for the Indian market.
Pictures: Carscoop
