Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. Products

Jeep’s Renegade sounds tough, but it looks a little more on the cute and scrappy side

Davis Adams
By

Maybe this Chrysler/FIAT relationship is working out after all. Or, at least this week’s announcement at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show proves that the Jeep Wrangler has spent a night or two in the FIAT 500L garage.

Behold, the 2015 Jeep Renegade: an Italian-American lovechild if we’ve ever seen one.

We’re not yet sure whether to call it a rugged little FIAT or a porky little Jeep, but there’s no question that the Renegade rings through as spunky, cutesy compact SUV. The folks at Chrysler tell us that it was designed by Americans in the Jeep division, but engineered by Italians at FIAT. That means Jeep’s familiar seven-slatted grille is present, as are the headlights that seem to pulled directly from the Wrangler. The rest seems to be a new direction for the brand’s design, though. We suspect, aside from some Jeep-y looks, it’s all FIAT Panda underneath.

Related

There are a few quirky, cool elements to the Renegade that we really dig, too. For example, it appears that the reverse and rear turn signal lights are housed in X-shaped casings, which closer concept car styling than most vehicles on the road today, and we’re pretty fond of the new My Sky roof systems. For those who just want to remove the roof to see the sky, they can choose the manual option. While folks looking for a motorized sunroof can have that, too – points for versatility, if nothing else.

Inside, there are a variety of available colors, including trim pieces in red, orange or silver, and shoppers can choose between cloth and leather seating surfaces. Chrysler’s Uconnect infotainment system is also available, which will allow drivers to map out road ahead or change the radio station, all through a touch screen.

Mechanically speaking, there are pieces of both brands under the hood. While the Renegade will receive a whole slew of engine options globally, we’ll have a choice of FIAT’s 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder, or the 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four-cylinder. Those engines are mated to either a six-speed manual transmission, or a nine-speed automatic. Models powered by the 2.4-liter engine will come standard with front-wheel drive, while 1.4-liter turbo models will offer Jeep’s Active Drive 4×4 system with Active Drive Low settings.

Jeep claims that this 4×4 system will be the toughest, most rugged available in the Renegade’s compact SUV segment, making it one of the only petite crossovers that can truly go anywhere.

We’re just looking forward to the day that we’re tossed the keys, so we can see exactly how far into the woods it can go.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Davis Adams
Davis Adams
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Whether you're talking about gadgets or cars, Davis always seems to prefer "next year's models." He's a neophile to the core…
2015 Dodge Charger sports a new face, but the same HEMI V8 power as before
2015 Dodge Charger

While other carmakers focus on fuel efficiency, connectivity, and lower-case "i"s, Dodge is as committed as ever to the muscle car.
At the 2014 New York Auto Show, Chrysler's mainstream brand unveiled the 2015 Dodge Charger and Challenger, both refreshes of the tire-smoking models that have been with us for a few years.
The newest part of the 2015 Charger is definitely its face, which has traded the angry look of current models for a slimmer grille and headlights. This completely changes the look of the car, which is otherwise unchanged.
Base Chargers are still powered by a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, which produces 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, although an optional Rally Appearance Group boosts output to 300 hp and 264 lb-ft.
The V6 is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and Chargers are once again available with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Charger without a HEMI. The 5.7-liter V8 returns for 2015 with 370 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque, also paired with an eight-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive.
Interior changes include a new steering wheel and a beefy-looking, fully-electronic shifter. The Charger also gets the latest version of Chrysler's Uconnect infotainment system, with an 8.4-inch center-stack touch screen.
The 7-inch TFT gauge cluster that's been proliferating throughout the Chrysler lineup also appears here.
The 2015 Dodge Charger arrives in U.S. showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2014, but less-patient buyers can take advantage of Dodge's "Double Up" deal, which allows customers to lease a 2014 Charger (or Challenger) for one year and trade up to a 2015 model without any increase in payment.

Read more
Honda’s 2015 HR-V subcompact crossover makes photographic debut in New York

Honda announced the launch of its upcoming HR-V subcompact crossover at this week's New York Auto Show. While the vehicle was nowhere to be found on the show floor, the brand released a series of images of the HR-V, which is destined for the market later this winter.
The HR-V is based on the 2015 Honda Fit, and shares many of the same unique features that we've come to love in the Fit. For example, the HR-V will come standard with the Fit's Magic Seat configuration, which allows owners to move the seats in multiple configurations, making the most out of the car's tiny package. That'll be important, since the HR-V is smaller even than the Honda CR-V midsize crossover.
It's likely that the same drivetrains from the Fit will be available in the HR-V, too, meaning we'll see a revvy 1.5-liter four-cylinder, and either a six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission. Look forward to more information on the HR-V, but in the meantime, take a look at our gallery, and let us know what you think of the subcompact crossover's styling in the comments below.
Interested in more news from the auto show? Take a look at our coverage from New York.

Read more
Subaru’s 2015 Outback can see around corners with help from some trick fog lights
2015 Subaru Outback

You know what they say about things that aren't broken ...
Subaru unveiled the original Outback 20 years ago at the New York Auto Show, and it became an unqualified success. This jacked-up Legacy wagon is "Subaru personified", as Subaru of America President and COO Tom Doll put it.
So for the 2015 Outback, unveiled at the 2014 New York Auto Show, Subaru decided to play it safe. The new Outback may not be as groundbreaking as that first model, but it doesn't have to be.
The Outback is really just a Subaru Legacy in hiking boots, so it's natural that the new model adopts the revised styling seen on the 2015 Legacy, itself a cleaner version of the styling from previous-generation models.
While this new Outback has more interior space than before, Subaru says it's no bigger than the current model, which grew significantly compared to previous generations.
Under the skin are carryover versions of Subaru's signature boxer engines. There's a 175-horsepower (two more than last year) 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a 256-horsepower 3.6-liter six, both paired with Subaru's Lineartronic continuously-variable transmission (CVT) and, of course, all-wheel drive.
The engines may be the same, but new active-grille shutters and other tweaks will yield better fuel economy, Subaru says. It expects 2.5i models to return 25 mpg city and 33 mpg highway, compared to 24/30/26 mpg for 2014 models.
Six-cylinder 3.6R models will get an estimated 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway; the current model gets 17/25 mpg city/highway. Official EPA ratings are forthcoming.
Subaru also says it's refined the Outback's all-wheel drive system. The latest version features more torque-vectoring capability, and an "X-Mode" taken from the Forester that heightens the sensitivity of the entire drivetrain.
The interior received a similarly subtle upgrade, with toys including the latest version of Subaru's Starlink infotainment system, and optional 12-speaker harman/kardon audio, a 10-way power driver's seat, and heated rear seats.
The 2015 Outback also gets the EyeSight camera-based pre-collision system, with nifty new "steering responsive fog lights" that turn on one at a time to illuminate the path through corners.
The 2015 Subaru Outback goes on sale this summer. Pricing will be "in line with the current model," according to Subaru.

Read more