That’ll do, Pigley. Jeep Renegade baby crossover leaked ahead of Geneva – UPDATE

By Stephen Edelstein Published March 3, 2014

While its scheduled debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show is just a few days away, someone apparently got impatient and decided to leak a photo of the 2015 Jeep small crossover.

Jalopnik published this photo of the newest Jeep. The site identifies it as the 2015 Renegade, although the rumor has it that this small Jeep could be called Jeepster instead.

Whatever its real name is, the Jeep will be based on a shortened version of the Fiat 500L’s platform, and will in turn spawn a Fiat mini-crossover called the 500X.

Although this model will likely have a smaller footprint than the current Patriot, its styling looks a bit more aggressive and macho. The car in the photo appears to have an exterior dress-up package similar to the one offered with the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk.

Naturally, this small crossover will have all-wheel drive, but it probably won’t be as off-road capable as more traditional Jeeps. It will be interesting to see if Jeep affixes one of its “Trail Rated” badges to this cute ‘ute’s flanks.

While its ability to tackle the Rubicon Trail may be in question, this small Jeep should have what it takes to do battle with small crossovers like the Buick Encore and Nissan Juke on the showroom floor.

We’ll have complete details on the 2015 Jeep small crossover and all the other notable car debuts from the 2014 Geneva Motor Show later this week.

Update: New photos added.

Topics

Photo Galleries

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Is a Jeep Cherokee replacement slated for 2025?

Jeep Cherokee

Jeep is remaining somewhat mysterious about the name of a new hybrid SUV slated to be part of the brand’s lineup in 2025.
Speaking at the Los Angeles Auto Show recently, Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa would only say that a new compact SUV with a hybrid powertrain was indeed on the way, according to Automotive News.
Filosa had already confirmed last spring that a new “mainstream” large SUV would soon be launched by Jeep, adding that we "could probably guess what it will be called." His comments had sparked speculation that the Cherokee brand name would be back.
While the brand name has existed since 1974, the Cherokee Nation in the U.S. had officially asked Jeep to stop using its name in 2021.
Early last year, Jeep quietly discontinued the model, which was one of its most iconic SUVs of the past 50 years.
The reason? Besides slumping sales, Jeep at the time cited the confluence of market dynamics, consumer preferences, and strategic brand realignment.
The Cherokee was viewed as a classic four-door SUV, known both for its reliability and its ability to suit both off-road and urban environments.
But with time, “consumer preferences have significantly shifted towards larger SUVs equipped with the latest technology and enhanced safety features,” Jeep said at the time. “This trend is accompanied by an increasing demand for environmentally friendly vehicles, steering the market towards hybrid and electric models.”
While no one knows for sure what the new SUV hybrid will be called, Jeep's parent company, Stellantis, is certainly doing everything it can to steer all its brands in the hybrid and electric direction.

Stellantis recently launched a new platform called STLA Frame that’s made for full-size trucks and SUVs. The platform is designed to deliver a driving range of up to 690 miles for extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) and 500 miles for battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Cars

These EVs come with the best free charging deals

Electrify America charging stations

EV charging is getting more accessible and faster, but it's still not quite as convenient as filling up at a gas station. For some, however, paying a substantially lower cost would make the waiting worth it, and many EV manufacturers make the cost cuts even more enticing by bundling in discounted or free charging at one of the larger charging networks.

This has been a practice for some time now -- and Tesla actually kicked it off with free Supercharger access. The concept is basically that when you buy your EV, you'll get a free subscription or free access to a network like Electrify America or EVgo. Essentially, this means that you can fast charge your electric vehicle at a DC fast charging station at no cost.

Cars

Teslas likely won’t get California’s new EV tax rebate

teslas likely wont get californias new ev tax rebate ap newsom 092320 01 1

California seems eager to reassert itself, not only as one of the largest economies in the world, but one where EVs will continue to thrive.

Governor Gavin Newsom has announced California will seek to revive state-tax rebates for electric vehicles should the incoming Trump administration carry out its plans to end the existing $7,500 federal incentive on EVs.