Jeep Renegade News

The Renegade mini SUV launched in Geneva this week with a trio of petrol engines and a diesel, linked to manual and nine-speed automatic transmissions.Based on the same platform found under the Fiat 500X, the Renegade will be sold in front and all-wheel drive versions and the top-spec Trailhawk maintains a "Trail Rated" off-road capability.Jeep Australia won't comment on prices ahead of a 2015 local launch, but Carsguide expects he entry model to cost around $29,000, rising to $40,000 for the Trailhawk.Fiat-Chrysler Australia spokeswoman Karla Leach acknowledges the SUV is a key vehicle. "Most of the growth is coming in the small SUV range and we now have the full line-up from soft-roader front-wheel drives to the off-roading Trailhawks," Leach says.Seven airbags will be standard along with a slew of electronic aids, from blind-spot and lane departure alerts to forward collision mitigation and rear cross-path detection. A five-inch or 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen will run the latest UConnect software and the driver's display includes a customisable panel.The exterior styling is Jeep's impression of a scaled-down Wrangler, highlighted by removable "My Sky" roof panels. The honeycomb fibreglass and polyurethane panels can be stored underneath the 350-litre cargo area on the manual version, while a tilt/slide mechanism automates the process.A new "Tek-Tonic" interior design look gives the Renegade a youthful look and plenty of soft-touch moulded plastics. The global Latitude badge will be replaced by Longitude in Australia to avoid confusion with the Renault Latitude.The top-spec Trailhawk will roll on 17-inch wheels and has 205mm of articulation combined and 220mm of ground clearance. A towing pack boosts capacity to 900kg with the 2.4-litre petrol engine or 1500kg with the MultiJet 2.0-litre tubodiesel.The Renegade is being built at the Melfi factory alongside the Fiat 500X. It will compete with the like of the Holden Trax, Nissan Juke and Renault Captur. 

Jeep will be taking the wraps off their new baby SUV at the Geneva motor show this week, but we're getting an early look at the vehicle thanks to a leak on the internet.While previous rumours suggested the new model would be called the Jeepster or Laredo, the photos posted by US site Jalopnik show it's badged as the Renegade -- a name Jeep has applied to several variants over the years and also to the concept unveiled at the 2008 Detroit motor show.The new Jeep is a compact crossover reportedly built on the same platform as the Fiat 500X, its SUV sibling under the Fiat-Chrysler group umbrella, and will be built alongside it in Italy -- and is also likely to share some drivetrains from the Italian side of the family.Jeep has already revealed it will roll the new arrival out in two versions, with suggestions there will be a front-drive version and a tougher four-wheel-drive one. As Jalopnik points out, with the leaked images featuring an offroad setting, and the Renegade sporting similar cues to the Cherokee Trailhawk, it's likely this early sighting is of the all-paw version.There's been no confirmation yet of a right-hand drive program, but it's unlikely the brand would ignore potential markets such as Australia and South Africa in their plans.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Most of the news from last week's North American International Auto Show in Detroit was about alternative fuels, green power and the poor state of the US economy. But if you looked hard enough, there were some cool cars to be found — as well as the wild concepts for which the Detroit show is famous. Even though makers spoke of being kind to the environment, 4WDs and SUVs were prolific, including innovative concepts by the big three: Jeep, Land Rover and Hummer.   Jeep Renegade Even the 4WD concepts were green-tinged. Jeep's Renegade buggy features a hybrid power train with a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder, turbo diesel engine and a pair of 200kW electric motors, one at each end. Touring range on electric power only is a claimed 64km from the 16kWh Li-ion battery, with a total range of 640km when used with fuel. It wasn't just the Jeep's power train that was designed to give show-goers a warm and fuzzy, saving-the-world kind of feeling. Much of its structure was created from recycled or recyclable materials. The Renegade's Palm Green metallic colour is moulded into its plastic body so as not to require paint (and the pollutants associated with paint). The seats were made using soy-bean foam and, where possible, parts were made from a single piece to avoid the use of toxic resins. The Renegade can be configured with a range of tops and rear sections to accommodate the various cargo requirements of an outdoor sportsperson. At the show, it was topless — and in the rear was a pair of water scooters ready for a scuba trip. If your idea of sport is limited to off-road driving, the Renegade won't disappoint. Its full-time 4WD system includes front and rear differential locks and low-range gearing. A combination of steep approach and departure angles, good ground clearance and low weight enhance the Renegade's off-road ability.   Hummer HX This was undoubtedly one of the stars of the Detroit show. The two-door, four-seater is smaller than the Hummer H3 and, although not built on an existing platform, could be a clue to the much-rumoured H4 said to be in development. Power comes from a direct-injection petrol V6 engine that gains its green credentials by being ethanol-compatible. Ethanol is GM's immediate answer to reducing vehicle emissions, and the company is investing heavily in technology to better produce the fuel. Like the Renegade, the HX is a versatile machine with removable tops and slant, square or no back sections. Its doors and wheel-arch flares are easily removable. Steep approach, departure and ramp-over angles, 35-inch tyres, long-travel, coil-over suspension, front and rear diff locks and a front-mounted winch are there for serious off-roading. Unlike the minimalist Jeep, the HX is loaded with tricks and gimmicks. In its many nooks and crannies were iPod/iPhone holders, a shovel, a fire extinguisher, satnav and LCD displays. A forward-facing camera in the rear-view mirror allows you to record your off-road driving adventures, which can be downloaded to the iPod. Lightweight folding seats, inspired by aircraft seating, have storage space underneath them. The HX was designed by a team of youthful designers whose input will appeal to younger Hummer buyers who want a no-compromise vehicle. If GM can create a production version of the HX that is anywhere near as wild and versatile as the concept, it's sure to be a hit and could heavily infringe on Jeep Wrangler sales.   Land Rover LRX Whereas the two American concepts are wild off-roaders, the LRX is a prestige compact SUV better suited tothe urban jungle. It's Gerry McGovern's first offering since he became Land Rover's chief of design, and is predicted to point closely to a fifth nameplate from the British marque, which celebrates its 60th year in 2008. If you think back to the Range Stormer concept and its relationship to the Range Rover Sport, hopes are high that we'll see something like the LRX in the near future. The LRX is a two-door SUV smaller than the Freelander 2, the smallest vehicle in Land Rover's current model line-up. Power comes from a two-litre turbo diesel/electric hybrid drive train with an electric motor integrated into the rear axle in what Land Rover calls Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD). Like most hybrids, the LRX runs on its electric motor only at low speeds, switching to a combination of electric and internal-combustion power under hard acceleration, then to diesel only for cruising. ERAD can supply additional torque to all wheels during off-road use or when more traction is called for. Like the Freelander 2, the LRX is more road-oriented than other vehicles in the Land Rover range. Its version of the acclaimed Terrain Response adds two new settings — “Sports” and “Eco” — to the dial. As their tags suggest, these settings optimise the mechanical systems in the vehicle for either enthusiastic or economical driving. The other Terrain Response modes are “Normal” for everyday use; “Grass, Gravel, Snow” for low-grip surfaces; and “Sand” for beach work. Any production version of the LRX would be pitched at upwardly mobile young executives who are looking for a premium sports SUV but don't want, or need, the ability and size of the Range Rover Sport.  

DETROIT: While they may or may not end up in driveways, there were plenty of vehicles turning heads at this week's North American International Auto Show, including Hyundai's new luxury sedan, a Cadillac coupe, Chrysler's green concept cars and a hybrid Toyota pickup.Slumping US car sales did not slow down the action at the grandaddy of the car show circuit, where car makers introduced more than 50 production and concept models in three media preview days. High fuel prices did not play much of a role, either. For every plug-in hybrid or fuel-cell concept, there was a 620 horsepower Chevrolet Corvette or a brand new full-sized sport utility vehicle from Kia. Chrysler promoted a tiny electric concept car as well as the full-sized Dodge Ram, which made a grand entrance alongside 120 longhorn cattle.“The overriding theme was that there was no theme,” says Jack Nerad, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book, the car buyers' guide.Car makers put a head-spinning variety of fuel-efficient technologies in cars at every price range. There was the $US80,000 ($91,000) Fisker Karma, a plug-in electric hybrid sports car with Maserati good looks that can travel 80km on a single charge. BYD, one of four Chinese car makers at the show, unveiled a plug-in hybrid sedan that will go on sale in China for under $US30,000 this year. Ford introduced EcoBoost, a direct injection, turbocharged engine which it says will improve fuel economy by 20 per cent. Even Ferrari unveiled an ethanol-capable F430 Spider.Diesel engines, which are about 30 per cent more efficient than their petrol counterparts, made a big comeback now that cleaner diesel fuel allows them to meet emissions standards in all 50 US states. BMW unveiled its first diesel-powered vehicles for the US market, the 335d coupe and X5 xDrive35d sport utility vehicle. Audi showed a 500 horsepower diesel super car concept, the Audi R8 V12 TDI, which can go from zero to 90km/h in 4.2 seconds. Daimler offered a diesel option on its GLK compact sport utility vehicle, among others.But diesels were not limited to German car makers. Toyota announced it would soon offer a diesel V-8 in the Tundra pickup and the Sequoia SUV, while Honda said it would put a diesel engine in its Acura sedan in 2010. Chrysler put a diesel hybrid in its Jeep Renegade concept vehicle, while General Motors has a diesel engine in its Saturn Flextreme plug-in concept car.David Champion, the senior director of Consumer Reports' Auto Test Centre, says diesel used to connote pollution and big trucks. He is eager to see if clean diesel has changed that perception, and if US consumers will choose diesel even though it is no cheaper than petrol.“Whether the marketplace is going to endorse diesels remains to be seen,” he says.Other car makers met demands for more fuel-efficient vehicles by downsizing. The Hummer HX concept, a Jeep-like offroad vehicle with a removable roof, would be the smallest Hummer ever if it is made. Toyota's A-BAT concept is the Prius version of a pickup, with a hybrid powertrain and a 1.3m bed. Land Rover unveiled the compact three-door LRX concept, while parent Ford showed the Ford Explorer America concept, a reworking of its phenomenally popular SUV that uses a unibody frame — rather than the traditional truck frame — to save fuel and give the vehicle a more car-like ride.“Explorer has been such an important model for them over the years. Taking that in an inventive direction that's still true to the Explorer name could be a big success for them,” Nerad says.Ford also got kudos for the eye-popping design of its Verve concept, which showed what Ford's subcompact may look like when it hits the US market in 2010.“Here's your proof that good design doesn't cost any more than bad design, but it makes all the difference in the world in terms of buzz,” Global Insight car analyst Aaron Bragman says of the Verve.Other cars generating serious buzz were the Cadillac CTS coupe, a sharp-looking, two-door concept that many analysts agreed was a highlight of the show, and the posh Hyundai Genesis sedan.Hyundai hopes Genesis will help it compete with other luxury makers when it goes on sale this year for just under $US40,000, but analysts aren't sure the bet will pay off, saying the Hyundai name means great value but not luxury. “You don't sell Mercedes-Benz and BMW because they're great value. You sell them because of the cachet and the image,” Bragman says. 

Chrysler has promised three eco-friendly new concept cars for the first big motoring event of next year and likewise, Mitsubishi has also announced a fuel-efficient diesel concept car.Chrysler will open with a Dodge Zeo sports car, then roll through the family-focused ecoVoyager to the off-road Jeep Renegade.The cars are only sketches for now as finetuning continues. Detroit will be the first big event since the American company's divorce from Daimler-Benz, after an unsuccessful takeover that was always billed; badly; as a merger of equals.“It's a very important show. It's our coming-out party for the new Chrysler,” Chrysler Group Australia managing director Gerry Jenkins says. “Detroit is always big for us. It's where we really showcase all our products. It's our home base. Quite honestly, it kicks off the year too, so it has a big motivational angle for us."“We put our best foot forward.”DaimlerChrysler has already split in Australia.Jenkins says Chrysler wants to push its green message in Detroit. “We are definitely going green. That is part of our core strategy going forward. No doubt about that,” he says.The Zeo concept is aimed directly at Gen-Y buyers and Chrysler describes it as a 2+2 sports wagon. It also says that, unlike most sports coupes, the baby Dodge is seriously intended for four-passenger use.But the real news is an electric drive system that promises a range up to 400km using a special lithium-ion battery pack. It has been designed for easy plug-in use.The ecoVoyager shares its name with the company's top-selling people mover and has a boxy minivan body but is more smoothly shaped. As with the Zeo, it has a lithium-ion battery pack. But the ecoVoyager should run for close to 500km between recharges because it has a compact hydrogen fuel cell to generate on-board power.The Renegade is typically Jeep, designed for off-roading and dune surfing, with a minimalist body including a hose-out cabin. Its green signature includes minimal use of materials, with an emphasis on recycled parts. Its power pack is a small-capacity Bluetec diesel engine linked to a lithium-ion battery pack. Chrysler claims the hybrid drive in the Renegade means it can run for 70km on electric power and return better than 3.0 litres for 100km with the diesel.The three show cars are a definite pointer to the future, though Jenkins cannot comment on potential production plans.And he does not rule out extra concept cars, without a green colouring, at Detroit.Over at the Mitsubishi stand the Concept-RA will be making its debut in Detroit. Powered by a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, the Concept-RA boasts both clean and dynamic driving, producing 150kW and 420Nm.The coupe concept uses the S-AWC vehicle dynamics control system driveline from the Lancer Evolution with added Active Steering and Active Suspension control improving traction, cornering and vehicle stability.It also features its Twin Clutch SST automated manual transmission.Mitsubishi has also aimed to improve crashworthiness and reduce weight.