Real Jeep in latest Renegade Trailhawk

The American way of life, with the heart of an Italian, the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk is the badass we expected.

Cross culturalisation has become a worldwide phenomenon courtesy of globalisation and it seems like the motor industry has embraced it with open arms. Case in point is the love affair of Fiat and Jeep Chrysler, which has seen a birth of new models, which are visually attractive and benefit from European advancements in engine downsizing.

Probably the best example of this, is the Jeep Renegade. I’ve seen a few of them gracing our roads and they look the part of the modern day SUV, which the general populace love. They are strong, rugged but have a touch of elegance and modern design.

Sharing the same platform with the Fiat 500L, you’ll notice some Fiat and Italian DNA creeping into this American. Thankfully, the platform it shares with the 500L is blended with Jeep’s off-road expertise, giving it more than just a cursory hint of off-road seriousness.

That, however, hasn’t deterred me from enjoying the Renegade Trailhawk. I still love the distinctive Jeep styling, particularly inside, where a retro dashboard forms the centre of attention. The rest of cabin is designed to be functional and practical, particularly around the ubiquitous FCA uConnect system which handles media, telephony and apps. The essence of a “City Car” is splashed throughout the interior design with a few fun surprises, good driving position and logical controls.

Don’t get me wrong, this is no extreme off-road Jeep despite it forming the top echelon. The Renegade Trailhawk is best suited for long trips and city living, but doesn’t mind getting dusty and dirty if need be. It’s produced to make a statement and what a statement it makes. Particularly with the badge “Trailhawk” fitted to the Renegade.

Hinting towards its level of off-road credentials is the increased ground clearance by some 12cm for the Renegade Trailhawk, which also sees the inclusion of “rock” mode and descent control to complement the Selec-Terrain programmes which includes -auto, snow and mud.

Humming along courtesy of a normally aspirated 2.4-litre petrol motor – the largest in the Renegade range – and the revolutionary ZF nine-speed transmission they pair well. Always starting in second, unless low-range is engaged, the car pulls along nicely and the Renegade feels planted. Admittedly we didn’t tackle any extreme off-road courses, but the Trailhawk did find itself cruising along a few dusty roads with undulating humps and bumps. Thankfully the approach and departure angles are decent at 30 degrees and 34 degrees respectively meaning it would take something out of the ordinary to stop the Renegade from trying to tackle it.

The Jeep Renegade certainly does seem to have the upper hand over its Italian sibling, the Fiat 500X, particularly in South Africa. Perhaps it’s the Jeep’s heritage which the Renegade seems to capture perfectly. One thing is for sure, I enjoyed driving the Trailhawk. My only gripe is in true Jeep form, the Renegade is one thirsty date and isn’t shy to average over 10 litres/100km, no matter how gently you try to drive the American.

Renegade Trailhawk has taken its sweet time getting here, landing a year after local launch, but as they say all good things take time and the Renegade Trailhawk is surprisingly good. There is something about it which charms you; unfortunately the price may deter those who are buying it more for Fiat’s style than the Jeep’s toughness . In that case, save R50 000 and get the smaller 1.4 turbo engine without the all-wheel drive baggage.

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