ITALY – The Italian way of life has been a part of American culture right from the start. And now the two are combined in a brand new venture in the shape of the Fiat 500L platform blended with Jeep’s American expertise of building off-roaders since 1941. And the solution chosen was a blend of retro and modern with a dash of funky fun splashed on the side. All Renegades will be manufactured at the Melfi plant in the Basilicata region in southern Italy.
It is not a formula automatically guaranteed of success and that is why so many manufacturers boringly steer clear of controversy and criticism in case they make a few errors of stylistic judgement and (heaven forbid) lose a few sales. With Jeep already having gentrified the Cherokee, edging it closer to the Grand Cherokee, the “Since 1941” brand chose to lean the new Renegade closer to the Wrangler with even the original Willys heritage in mind. And so we find round headlamps flanking the traditional seven slot grille and a lowered waistline to mimic the “open” sides of the Willys. At the rear we have squared-off taillamps incorporating a “cross”. This was not a random style element, either. The idea came from the strengthening ribs pressed into the steel panels of World War 2 jerry cans.
Engines
A varied range of powertrains is supplied but the ones likely to make it to South Africa are the base 1,6-litre producing 81 kW and 152 N.m, two 1,4-litre MutiAir turbos producing 103 kW plus 239 N.m and 125 N.m with 250 N.m, the 1,6 E.torQ turbodiesel with 81 kW and 320 N.m and finally the 2,4 MultiAir producing 136 kW and 232 N.m. Fuel consumption figures have not yet been tested but are on Euro 6 levels. The fuel tank is not very large at 48 litres but should provide a decent range given the expected low consumption levels.
Traction and gears
We got to test a couple of versions at Fiat Chrysler’s testing ground at Ballocco in Northern Italy, situated in the motoring heaven region not far from the towns of Marranello, Modena and Sant’Agata Bolognese, otherwise known as the homes of the big guns that are Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini respectively.
There are three levels: the Longitude is front wheel-drive with six-speed manual transmission. The Limited can be front or all wheel-drive with manual or automatic transmission and the Trailhawk has 4×4 plus low range and automatic transmission. Three levels of traction are employed: FWD, Active Drive and Active Drive Low. The 4×4 system uses a centre diff that is open for normal use, locking via a wet clutch when traction on all four wheels is required. I am not a fan of gearboxes with more than six speeds, as they always change cogs, something that can get very annoying. On the Renegade, the software algorithms seem to have been better tuned than with other users of this multi-geared transmission to reduce this effect. With reasonable travel on the throttle, accelerating from 70 to 100 km/h did not see the box jump down to lower gears. On the serious off-road course, the Renegade performed perfectly capably with only occasional need for the donkey low-range first gear. Suspension uses MacPherson struts front and rear with anti-roll bars. Shock absorbers are by Koni. The setup is on the firm side and wheel sizes are 18-inch with 215/65 Goodyear Vector 4season tyres. On the Limited 4×4, 17-inch wheels are standard while the Longitude models use 16-inch wheels. The steering has electrical assistance and seems well-sorted, with a natural, medium-weighted feel.
Test drive
First up to be test driven was the top-of-the-line Trailhawk with low range gearbox and the 2,0-litre diesel. Although this engine will not be coming to South Africa, the 2,4-litre Tigershark MultiAir with 136 kW and 232 N.m will. Ground clearance is increased from 198 mm on the Limited to 210 mm for the Trailhawk. Approach and departure angles are also excellent at 30 degrees and 34 degrees. The way the ZF nine-speed works is that in normal 4×4 mode it skips first gear, starting always in second. If you choose low range, it selects first only. The gear ratio is 4,7:1 coupled to a final drive of 4,334:1, giving a crawl ratio of 20:1. If you flick the lever to manual you have use of all nine ratios. Selec-Terrain is fitted to all 4x4s with a choice of traction programmes – auto, snow, sand, mud and an extra “rock” mode, and descent control is added for the Trailhawk.
We also tried a 1,4 turbo 4×2 with the six-speed manual gearbox. This was a lot of fun with its smooth, punchy engine and easy-going gearshifting from the chunky aluminium lever. The steering wheel is also meaty – all designed to remind you that the Renegade is not a commuter by nature. It can, but it will be happier in the country.
Interior
The boot capacity looks impressive with a moveable boot board providing added storage space. South Africa will likely get either a full-size or decently dimensioned space saver. Interior design, under the eye of Klaus Busse, is as successful as the exterior, with top-class instrumentation, lots of on-board information, large knobs, chrome touches, dual-zone air-con, two USB ports, power socket for the rear seat and Uconnect with a five-inch touch screen central display (larger displays are optional in packages listed as Infotainment, Winter, Function, Parking and Visibility).
A selection of Easter eggs – small, unexpected surprises – are added for fun, both for the designers and also owners. For example, you can find the Jeep signature in a number of places such as the round headlamps and even in the centre of the taillamps. Another is a contour outline of Moab Desert, Utah, embossed into the rubber mat in the centre storage bin. There is also a small tribute to a spider that had a free but terminal trip on a Renegade body shipped from Italy to the USA. We won’t reveal where it sits but it does say “Ciao, baby”.
In true outlandish Wrangler-esque fashion, a number of cool and retro colours will be offered including orange, olive green and yellow. Or how about interior upholstery in white, brown and orange with matching orange bezels around vents, speakers and the gearlever? Oh, and orange stitching to match, of course.
When?
We expect right-hand drive production to start at year-end and the first cars should arrive in the first quarter of 2015. Pricing should be around R300 000 to R350 000.
