Review: Jeep Renegade Trailhawk

In truth, Willys-Overland, the company that went on to secure use of the Jeep name, wasn’t actually responsible for the design of the world’s first UV. The original article was, in fact, a committee job, with the result being knocked out by the thousand by several manufacturers – 277,000 by Ford, to be precise, and 361,000 – the lion’s share, admittedly – by Willys.

Many decades later, and having changed ownership a number of times, the Jeep brand lives on, and next year marks the 80^th anniversary of the first Jeep prototype. This Renegade is no doppelganger but is certainly possesses the distinctive seven-slot front grille. It has a Jeep face, though we ought draw a veil over the fact that the war-time original had nine slots and was designed by Ford…

Beyond the face, the Renegade lacks the original’s open approach and departure angles. And it’s true, many, though not all, Renegades are 4x2. Of course, ours is a high Trailhawk edition and is indeed a genuine 4x4. Moreover, the Jeep blurb sells it as the most capable small SUV, ever! Bold talk.

Sure, you’d expect it to outperform a lowly-priced Jimny but you could buy two Jimnys for the price of this Trailhawk. In the real world, this Jeep is priced matched to the Discovery Sport, a formidable rival. And against such the Trailhawk feels awfully cheap. Sadly, it’s not cheap in a hose-down, practical way that you’d expect in a grunty, down and dirty, go-anywhere Jeep kind of way. Herein lies the contradiction.

Renault’s short-lived and barely appropriate involvement with Jeep in the the 1980s is a moot point, because this Jeep is not a pure corn-fed US product. In reality, Renegades are built in Italy, at the Melfi plant, and are actually based on Fiat's 500X platform – it's Jeep's first product to emerge from the FIAT-Chrysler amalgam and contains European-oriented component sets. On the plus side, that means the Trailhawk model has Land Rover-style rear-axle disconnect, hill descent controls and independent suspension that boost its off-road ability.

Its 2.0-litre diesel engine is as large as most competitors, so off-road the Renegade Trailhawk is quite handy – as a Jeep should be – and way ahead of some other small SUVs like the Renault Captur and Nissan Qashqai. 

But, so what? Products in this segment don't really go off-road. True, most Land Rovers don't go off-road either, but their wealthier customers can afford to splash the cash for the image. Where the Renegade Trailhawk exists, such novelty must gain minimal traction in terms of market. Relatively speaking it’s capable off-road, but it’s not a purebred 4x4 and would struggle if chucked in the deep end. Literally.

In reality it is on main roads where this car will find itself most of the time, and that is where its shortcomings are most apparent. Beyond the plastic interior the car is quite noisy, and with a crosswind you’ll find yourself swaying in the breeze at speed. The automatic transmission is ponderous, making gradual acceleration hopelessly slow whilst a heavy foot returns nothing but a confused delay before a gear is selected, followed by an overcompensated blip that still leaves you wanting. The steering isn’t particularly well tuned, either. 

The ride is where it starts to get better – not so hard you feel every bump; not too soft you lose feeling completely. But the car still leans, yaws and understeers a lot for a car of its size. The seating position gives you a feeling of confidence on the road with almost unparalleled vision. That said, it could be better and it should be better behind the wheel. But maybe even this doesn't matter in this segment?

It would be good to relate that talented Jeep-FIAT engineers have pulled off a blinder, delving into the parts bin and assembling an inspired product that really hits the mark. Sadly I don’t think it really works.

As a whole, the Renegade model has been a success for the brand making up 72,000 of 165,000 total Jeep sales in Europe for the 2018 year. Success in sales, yes. But for Jeep as a brand? I don’t think so. There are just so may alternatives against which the Renegade doesn’t cut it.

Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Specifications

• Price: £31,400 (range starts at £19,745)
• Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder diesel
• Power/torque: 170bhp @ 3,750rpm/350Nm (258lb ft) @ 1,750rpm
• Transmission: Nine-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive
• 0-62mph: 8.9 seconds
• Top speed: 122mph
• Kerb weight: 1,660kg
• Combined economy: 42.8