I wouldn’t call the new Renegade the most American Jeep on the planet. It’s built in Italy and shares DNA with the Fiat 500X. How fitting that Automobile‘s Georg Kacher drove a Euro-spec version of it through the Austrian Alps.
In them, he discovered the baby Jeep’s van-like driving position, abundant headroom, limited rear leg space, and diminutive 18.5-cubic-foot cargo area. Kacher also found out what it’s like to drive a diesel-powered Renegade. Jeep will only sell the model in the United States with a gas engine – either a 160-horsepower, 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four or a 2.4-liter Tigershark I4 that generates 184 hp. Kacher’s oil-burner review vehicle had a 2.0-liter MultiJet turbodiesel with 138 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Unfortunately, that power plant wasn’t able to get the all-wheel-drive Renegade through two particularly difficult patches of snow. (Hit the link below to read the rest of the write-up and see all of the beautiful photos Kacher took. I put an abbreviated gallery of them at the bottom of this post.)
On the bright side, Jeep will build an off-road-ready Trailhawk version of its newest offering. Hopefully, we can test that one here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. soon…
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
