Jeep Renegade road test – It’s Limited, but not just to roads!

Jeep Renegade road test report review: DAVID HOOPER discovers Jeep graphics all over this Renegade, but wonders how many owners have discovered them all.

THE Jeep Renegade reminds me of my Tonka toys when I was a budding car nut and although it might look like the sort of car a child would draw, there is something very likeable about it.

I love the clever branding which you can find all over the car – it’s great if you like a game of hide and seek. The famous Jeep grille and headlights graphic appears all over the car and even after a week with this vehicle, I was still finding them – on the inside of the boot lid, on the door speaker surrounds, and even in the rear light lenses. Finding the spider imprinted in the plastic is a bit more of a challenge, but the Willy’s Jeep climbing up the side of the windscreen is a lovely touch. I can’t help wondering how many owners have actually found them all.

This is the latest of the Renegade line-up which is available in two or four-wheel-drive. Our test car features front wheel drive and a 1.6-litre diesel engine, which returned an average of 43.6mpg over nearly 600 miles, which to be fair, isn’t brilliant by today’s standards but then it does have the aerodynamics of a brick!

The latest range features new designs for its 18in road wheels, and other tricky to spot changes, like a new location for the boot release handle which is now at the bottom of the tailgate, etc etc.

One of the best changes is to the infotainment system, which now features a central 8.4in dash-mounted screen which controls most of the car’s functions such as telephones MP3 players, sat navs and the like. It also now supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which integrates nicely and works well with the car’s systems.

Although I didn’t need them during the summer heatwave, there are also heated seats and even a heated steering wheel.

The stereo us superb when you crank up the sounds and with a big sub-woofer built into the sizeable boot, which can be enlarged by folding down the rear seats.

The interior is comfortable and spacious, with plenty of headroom creating a feeling of space, and the large glass area lets in plenty of light and provides a good view of the goings on around you. For the bits you can’t see, there are parking sensors fore and aft, combined with a reversing camera to ensure you keep the bodywork intact.

For growing families who need more space, roof rails are provided, although you’ll have to source the step ladder!

On the road, the Jeep Renegade drives very well, it’s comfortable, pleasantly quiet, with only a little wind noise around the large mirrors, and it provides a comfortable ride which cushions the worst of the pot holes which are littering our roads at the moment.

The Renegade feels like a big car, but its footprint on the road is no larger than most family hatchbacks.

It looks good, and offers something a bit different to those looking for a family-friendly mid-size SUV.

Our test car cost £28,990 on the road and featured just over £3,000 worth of extras, including electric front seats, a function pack, visibility pack and pastel paint.

More information can be found at www.jeep.co.uk

Rating:

If you like this, read our review on this Jeep

 THE VITAL STATISTICS

MODEL: Jeep Renegade Limited 1.6

ENGINE: 1598cc, 120bhp four-cylinder diesel engine, driving front wheels through 6-speed manual gearbox.

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 110mph. 0-62mph in 10.2 secs.

ECONOMY: Combined (WLTP): 48.7mpg.

Wheel World test average: 43.6mpg

PRICE: £28,990.

WEBSITE: www.jeep.co.uk

• All data correct at time of publication.