The compact Renegade was a true bullseye-shot for Jeep. Of course, most of the Jeep-buyers just want a Wrangler,
but in Europe, it's always nice combine some of the charm of the Wrangler with the financial benefits of a small SUV with a small turbo engine.
Jeep has taken reducing user costs even further, because this is the new plug-in Renegade 4Xe.
Jeep has launched two versions of it. One with 190 horsepower and one with 240 horsepower.
And the special part is that the engine versions are connected to the trim level. It all starts with the Limited Business,
which is powered by the 190 horsepower-engine. If you add €1.000 to that price, you'll get the Trailhawk. A tough, terrain-version producing...
240 horsepower. For an another additional €1.000, you'll get the more luxurious S, which also produces 240 horsepower.
The more expensive versions seem to be relatively affordable, but there are two catches. The first is the base price,
because prices start at €42.990. That's a lot for a car which usually is in the B-segment. Secondly, there's a big drawback to the Trailhawk.
It emits 51 grams of CO2 per kilometre, which makes it the only version not to be eligible for the halved vehicle taxes.
Also, it's good to know that Jeep is releasing a Compass 4Xe at the same time. It has exactly the same drivetrain, so it's available in three...
levels, producing 190 or 240 horsepower. So most of the things I'm telling about the Renegade, goes for the Compass as well.
Usually, a plug-in hybrid version of a normal car means there's much less luggage space.
In here however, it's not that bad. Jeep has hidden the batteries in the second row of seats and in the space where you'd usually find...
the propshaft, which means you've got almost all of your space available. You only miss one little corner on the right side,
which means you're down 20 litres. But even in this version, there's still space for a spare wheel. I mean, it's still a Jeep.
In total, it fits 330 litres in the back. That's not a lot, but the power of a Renegade is its square space. That means that if you fold down the...
seats, it almost fits 1.300 litres. Funny enough that's more than the larger Compass will fit.
On the outside, you can only recognize the 4Xe by the charging port in the left rear panel and the blue edge around the Jeep-badge. But that's...
pretty much invisible with this paint scheme. On the inside, it's mostly a Renegade. That means it's an interior with a lot of fun details.
However, it's not the best when it comes to finishing and used materials. It's not like it's already falling apart, but they've used a lot of hard plastics.
Unfortunately, a lot of operating features are made of hard plastics as well. Take the prongs on the steering column for example,
or these buttons. Because of those, you don't get the impression you're driving a premium car.
A difference that you do have between this and other Renegades, is found beneath here. It's the buttons that control the drivetrain.
We see a lot of similarities with other plug-in hybrids there. It always starts up in Hybrid-mode, in which the car itself decides how to power...
itself. You can, however, choose an Fully Electric-mode, which makes the car run on batteries only until they run out.
Lastly, there's an e-save-mode, in which you can get into the menu's and decide whether the car stores its electrical power or...
that the engine starts regenerating the batteries.
The finishing level and the size of the car don't seem to fit with the price tag, but I do have to admit that Jeep has clearly tried...
to get the available equipment up to standard. This is the Limited, which is the base version, but it comes with leather seats as standard,
heated seats and steering wheel, an 8.4-inch infotainment system with TomTom-satnav, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and a partly digital...
instrument cluster. The infotainment system doesn't always work as quickly I do have to say, especially the satnav-part.
It does have a logical menu structure, like we've already seen in other FCA products. But it does have all of those features as standard.
The 4Xe in the name stands for four-wheel drive of course, which the plug-in hybrid SUV's have as standard. However, it's not regular 4x4,
but electric four-wheel drive. The rear axle is only powered by the electric motor, which produces 60 horsepower. It's connected to the petrol...
engine, which is the 1.3-litre 4-cylinder found in more Fiat-products. Like the regular Jeep Renegade for example.
The 1.3-litre produces 130 or 180 horsepower, and that's where the total power figure comes from.
If you add 60 horsepower, you'll get to 190 or 240 horsepower
It's all connected to a 6-speed automatic gearbox, and the electric power is generated by an 11,4 kWh-battery pack. That gives the car...
an electric range of around 50 km. A figure that we see a lot in plug-in hybrids.
In the real world, it's probably going to be less, but it's still a figure in which people are able to get to their jobs.
And that's the important bit in cars like this.
190 or 240 horsepower, that's a lot for a car in this segment. On the other hand, it does weigh a lot as well.
It weighs 1.745 kg, which is 450 kg more than a regular Renegade. Luckily, the performance is still good.
This is the 190 horsepower-version, which does 0-100 km/h in 7,5 seconds. The 240 horsepower-version is slightly quicker,
and they feel quick as well. Especially when you put your foot down. When you're entering the motorway or something, you'll think it's...
pretty rapid, but in small sprints or when you're not flooring it, the engine is very noisy. That's when it doesn't feel as rapid as the...
figures imply. Also, it shows that the car has to tow along quite a lot of weight.
Because the Jeep isn't meant to be a sporty car, the additional weight doesn't really compromise anything.
Luckily, this partly electric car has most of the weight incorporated in the floor. However, the car does feel quite hard and bumpy.
Especially on these bad, Italian roads. And it's combined with a senseless, but very pleasant steering. Nice for when you're manoeuvering around...
in the city, or in the terrain. I mean, it's still a Jeep. And Jeep says that this car does have quite a lot of off-road capabilities.
And that's quite funny in the land of plug-in hybrids, because it's very rare. Having said that, every Renegade 4Xe comes with several...
driving modes. There's Auto, there's Sport, but you also get Snow, Sand, and Mud. That allows you to go off-road.
Also, you can lock the four-wheel drive system. That way, you have permanent four-wheel drive. The petrol engine then...
always generates electricity to feed the electric motor. That way, you still have four-wheel drive when the batteries are dead.
And if that's your thing, you should go for the Trailhawk-version. That has more ground clearance, other bumpers, additional tow hooks...
and tougher tires. However, you do have to pay double taxes for it in the Netherlands.
As a whole, the Renegade 4Xe is a nice addition to the range. It's a plug-in hybrid Jeep which is able to go through the mud.
However, the high price is a real deal breaker. You do get a lot of power for it, but the finishing and handling aren't as good as some alternatives.
Take the Mini Countryman Cooper SE, or an Opel Grandland X in hybrid form. On the other hand, buying a car is done with emotions...
and both of those alternatives aren't Jeeps.