Jeep Renegade Review 2024

The Jeep Renegade is smaller than anything Jeep has made in recent years. With the explosion in popularity of small SUVs, it comes at a good time. Its chunky and rugged looks stands out from the competition such as the Ford Puma and to some extent the MINI Countryman. Read on for the full review of the Jeep Renegade.

Jeep is keen to highlight its off-road history, labelling the Renegade the only true SUV in the small crossover market. That said, most models sold will likely be the more affordable two-wheel drive mild hybrid model.

There is plenty of classic Jeep influence in the styling of the Renegade, with those recognisable circular headlights and the slotted grille. The interior quality is impressive as Jeep's resurgence continues, and while this is a smaller SUV, it has a solid and good quality feel. It's comfortable too and an impressive car for motorway with little wind noise, despite the rather boxy shape.

What that boxy shape does mean is plenty of interior space with good headroom, especially in the back. The wide opening doors are handy for parents fitting child seats and the interior feels robust enough to cope with everyday family life.

It drives well with responsive steering and a surprising agility in corners. It has an enjoyable character that's hard not to like and although the ride is overly firm and at times bouncy, the Renegade gets a lot right and very little wrong. Aside from the two-wheel drive models there are also 4x4 versions which come with plug-in electric power.

With a tight turning circle and a raised driving position the Renegade has all the qualities needed to rival the current crop of crossovers and small SUVs. And while the looks might not be to everyone's tastes (it looks better in the metal than in photographs) the fact it has a Jeep badge gives it plenty of kudos and the standard of the interior helps make it feel a class above much of the competition.

The engine range has been revised, so now there's a mild hybrid 1.5 litre model with 130PS and front-wheel drive. Or, you can have a 1.3-litre plug-in hybrid that has four-wheel drive and a choice of 190- or 240PS.

Looking for a second opinion? Check out heycar's review of the Jeep Renegade.

Thanks to the upright windscreen the Jeep Renegade feels very spacious and the boxy shape means excellent headroom, which is especially noticeable in the back - an area where many smaller SUVs like this can feel claustrophobic. Rear legroom is decent but more useful, especially for parents, are the wide opening back doors which make fitting child seats and looking after younger ones, much easier.

Storage is useful with decent-sized door pockets that can hold a drinks bottle plus twin cupholders behind the gear lever, the space freed up thanks to the fact the Renegade has an electric parking brake rather than a traditional hand brake. Between the front seats is also a usefully deep cubby that doubles as a centre armrest.

As for boot space, the Renegade boasts a 351-litre load area, which is less than many in this sector, but it's practical nonetheless with a double level floor and - when the floor is in its upper position - virtually no load lip. The boot opening itself is wide and square so ideal for pushchairs, the only minor criticism is that the tailgate doesn't open particularly high, good for multi-storey car parks but not great if you're tall. Tip the rear seats down and you can access up to 1297 litres of DIY-friendly space.

The interiors of recent Jeep models, such as the Cherokee, have seen a big level of improvement in both design and quality. And the Renegade moves things on yet again. Gone are the days of smaller Jeep models having cheap and plastic laden cabins, instead the Renegade has a solidly built yet well finished interior which has a nice touch of quality to it, helping lift the Jeep above the competition.

Overall the quality of the Jeep feels good with soft touch plastics on the dash top while details like plenty of padding in the door armrests give it a more upmarket feel. There's a nice metal topped gear lever plus a grab handle on the passenger side dash, a nod to the 4x4 heritage of Jeep and useful for nervous passengers.

All models of Renegade come with an 8.4-inch colour touchscreen, called UConnect, in the centre stack which controls the stereo and other functions. It's the same system used across the Jeep range and works well with quick routing and a clear display.

UConnect works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can access all of your preferred apps and use your smartphone's navigation system.

The layout is fairly conventional but it's very intuitive with all the main control easy to work. The instrument dials are displayed in a 7-inch colour screen, giving you all the trip information in an easy to read and nicely designed fashion. It's something we're used to seeing on more expensive cars so it's nice to see Jeep filtering it down to a more affordable smaller SUV.

The mild hybrid version of the Jeep Renegade with its 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine is only available in one trim – Limited. This Renegade e-Hybrid costs from £30,030 and gets you a car with front-wheel drive that has a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox as standard.

The Limited trim is shared with the entry model to the Renegade 4xe Plug-in Hybrid model that has a 1.3 litre engine and 60PS electric motor. The Limited version uses a 190PS combination of petrol and electric power that costs from £36,500, which gets you a six-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive. Move to the Upland model and you get 240PS from the same petrol-electric combo for an identical £36,500 to the Limited. This makes the more powerful and slightly better equipped Upland something of a bargain.

If you’re feeling flush and want a Renegade with more off-road attitude, the Trailhawk costs from £38,500 and uses the 240PS drivetrain.

What you save on the list price of the Jeep Renegade 1.5 e-Hybrid with its 1.5 litre engine, you lose in its combined fuel economy. This model has an official consumption figure of 49.4mpg, along with 130g/km of carbon dioxide emissions. Those are on target for the class, but fall some way short of the plug-in hybrid Jeep.

Take the Renegade in 4xe Plug-in Hybrid form with the 190PS set-up and it claims official average fuel economy of 134.5mpg and 49g/km CO2 output. The more powerful 240PS version offers 128.4mpg and 51g/km.

The outcome of this is the 190PS 4xe Plug-in Hybrid pays only £10 for first-year road tax and £180 in the following years. The 240PS version will see you pay £30 for the first 12 months of Vehicle Excise Duty, while the mild hybrid will relieve you of £210 and £180 in the subsequent years.

With insurance groups ranging from 11 to 25, the Renegade need not cost a fortune to get covered for insurance.

Jeep says it has worked hard on refinement in the Renegade and it's certainly quiet and civilised for a small SUV. There is good sound proofing from the engine bay while road noise is kept to a minimum but the most impressive aspect is the lack of wind noise at speed. Given the square shape of the Renegade and the upright windscreen this is no mean feat.

That square shape has advantages when it comes to judging the front end and corners but rear visibility isn't as good due to the thick pillars which can make parking a little tricky. But for a small SUV it's good in town with that slightly raised driving position helping plus a tight turning circle which means getting into tight spaces is relatively easy.

On the motorway the Renegade is equally adept and happily cruises along, feeling stable and stress free. Get it onto a road with a few corners and it's just as good with responsive and well-weighted steering, not too much in the way of body roll and a slick gear change on manual models. The main controls, such as the clutch and accelerator, have a nice weighty action to them, giving the Jeep a solid feel.

The only downside is the ride. While it copes well over average road surfaces, it can really bounce over potholes and uneven tarmac. As a result it's not all that comfortable along rural country lanes, not ideal for an SUV that majors on having true 4x4 ability. That said, over poor surfaces there's no vibration through the suspension - the Renegade doesn't crash over bumps - but the set-up feels overly stiff.

The two-wheel drive models makes the most sense but the 4x4 versions certainly have an appeal, especially for those in rural areas or who are worried about getting stuck in snow and ice in the winter. The Renegade uses an on-demand four-wheel drive system and there are five Selec-Terrain mode to tailor the four-wheel drive to the conditions you find yourself in.

There are three separate choices of power to pick from with the Jeep Renegade e-Hybrid. The first, and cheapest, is the 1.5 litre turbo petrol motor that offers 130PS. It's no ball of fire, with 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds, but it makes easy progress thanks to the smooth seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox that comes as standard.

The 4xe Plug-in Hybrid versions of the Renegade use a 1.3 litre turbo petrol engine combined with a 60PS electric motor. You can have this engine in 130- and 180PS forms, with the more potent reserved for the Upland and Trailhawk trims. The 190PS version delivers 0-62mphin 7.5 seconds, with the 240PS model edging ahead with 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds. In both cases, they use a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Whichever Jeep Renegade you decide on, they all have six airbags, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. You also get lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, trailer assisit, and rear parking sensors.

The Upland adds front parking sensors and a driver fatigue warning, while the Trailhawk has blind spot monitoring included in its spec.

Jeep offers the Convenience & Visibility Pack that includes rear parking camera, blind spot warning, and automatic high beam headlights.

If you're pulling an unbraked trailer, the most the Jeep Renegade can tow is up to 600kg. Fit a trailer that has its own brakes and the maximum towing capacity of the Renegade is 1450kg.

The first foot on the Jeep Renegade ladder is the Limited trim that is common to both the 1.5 litre -e-Hybrid and 1.3 litre 4xe Plug-in Hybrid versions. It comes sitting on 17-inch alloy wheels, and has gloss black door mirror caps, roof rails, and glossy silver rear bumper insert. The Limited also has adaptive cruise control, electric windows, rear parking sensors, and trailer assist.

On the inside of the Limited, you’ll find fabric seats, air conditioning, a 7-inch main instrument display, and 8.4-inch infotainment touchscreen that is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. To this lot, the plug-in version adds driver fatigue warning, Selec-Terrain off-road drive modes, connected services for the infotainment, and pre-conditioning for the air con.

Next is the Upland that has an off-road bumper for greater ground clearance, and rear privacy glass. For the interior, there’s a 40-20-40 split rear seat with ski hatch, and cloth and vinyl upholstery.

At the top of the tree sits the Trailhawk with its unique bonnet decal, red highlights for the cabin, and off-road oriented mud and snow tyres. Also aimed at use in the wilds are the transmission and battery skid plates to protect these items.

Jeep offers several options packs. They cover the Convenience & Visibility Pack with its keyless entry, blind spot monitoring, remote control for the electric windows, rear parking camera, and auto parking assist. The Style & Navigation Pack comes with sat-nav, privacy glass, and LED lights front and back. A Premium Winter Pack provides leather upholstery, electric front seat adjustment and heating, a heated steering wheel, and 40-20-40 split rear bench. Choose the Trailhawk Leather Pack and, over and above the Premium Winter Pack, you get branded leather seats.