European Press Launch, Milan, Italy

We drove an early version of the Renegade a few weeks ago, and it was good, but has the final production version improved even more?

Jeep is very American, everything it stands for and its history and tradition is very much a part of the U.S. But for the first time in Jeep's 73 year history, the Renegade is to be built in Europe, at Fiat Group's Plant in Melfi, Italy. Around 170,000 will be built per year and about one million will be assembled during its life cycle. The Renegade will be exported to many countries, including North America.

We drove the Renegade mainly on the roads around Bolocco, which is home to Fiat Groups test facility, and also on the off-road course within the proving ground. On the road it was very smooth, comfortable and felt very “planted” to the surface. As you went round the corners it was firm and felt safe and solid, with hardly any body roll, it drove more like a sports car than a SUV. The electric power steering is very precise and feels great when cornering at any speed.

The Renegade has undergone much testing to ensure everything is as good as it can be in terms of reliability and proving the test of time on all components and bodywork. The engineers have driven the early test vehicles over five million kilometres on and off road.

The design is very Jeep, with its seven-bar grille and “chunky “styling. You can tell from a distance exactly which brand it is, with no confusion over what badge it will have on it. The windscreen is very upright as is the front end. The Renegade looked much better when we saw it in person than it did in the press photographs we had seen; some cars just look better in the flesh and this is one of them.

The interior is well appointed, the quality is good and it feels spacious. The doors open wide for easier access and it generally feels more premium than some of its competitors, it has been well thought through and well executed. The engineers have ensured that the cabin is quiet by adding extra sound insulation and this is fairly evident when driving on the motorway.

Having said all this there are one or two niggling points such as the doors seals are not at the bottom of the doors, but a couple  of inches up, allowing any dirt or mud to collect on the sill. This is annoying as every time you get in or out, you can, if you are not careful, end up with dirty trousers, or in the ladies case, dirty legs or skirts.

Exact details on the Renegade for the UK are at the moment a bit sketchy, as it is nearly six months away from launch in the UK. It will soon be available in mainland Europe where prices will start at under €20,000.00. There will be both petrol and diesel engines offered with a choice of either two or four wheel drive. We drove the 1.4 litre petrol which was surprisingly good, quick and quiet, and also the diesel which was equally as good, but the petrol just seemed better to drive and much better than any of us could have imagined.

The all-new, European built, attractive SUV comes at just the right time for Jeep. It has some very good and competent competitors that are already well established. But the Renegade will be very appealing to people who have wanted to own a Jeep but haven’t been able to due to there never being a credible and affordable “Baby-Jeep”. But soon there will be, and that will get potential customers into Jeep showrooms when they had never been in one.

Martin Ward, Manufacturer Relationship Manager