Jeep Renegade review

The Jeep Renegade is a first foray into the small SUV market by the legendary American brand that invented the sport utility vehicle.

Under the skin, the Renegade is closely related to the Fiat 500X – in fact the two are built at the same factory at Melfi in southern Italy because of Fiat and Jeep's shared ownership. You would probably never have guessed that from looking at them, though, because the Renegade has more ground clearance, Jeep's trademark grille and chunky off-road looks.

Those rugged looks should help Jeep to steal a piece of the small SUV pie currently being shared by some of its main rivals, including the Mini Countryman, Renault Captur and Suzuki Vitara.

In the UK, buyers have a choice of five engine variants. Three of them are powered exclusively by petrol while two are up-to-the-minute plug-in hybrids designed to tempt company car drivers with the promise of good economy and low emissions figures. One of those 4xe models is the fastest in the present Renegade range.

Over the next few pages, this Jeep Renegade review will tell you everything you need to know about what this four-wheel drive small SUV is like behind the wheel (on and off the road), plus which trim and engine options make the most sense.

If you do decide it's the car for you – or you are thinking of buying another vehicle of any make and model – we can help you to make big savings on the list price. It's quick and easy to check out the discounts available by visiting the What Car? New Car Buying section.