The Jeep Renegade PHEV kind of sort of came out at the Geneva Motor Show... apparently. But nobody seems to have covered it, so we decided to show you photos from its international on-road debut at the Presidents' Parade during the Turin event.
Plug-in technology has become a necessity for crossovers in Europe, as regulations are cracking down on pollution. However, we're surprised by how the Renegade PHEV is ready before Mercedes' hits the market.
And we mention Mercedes because Jeep also uses a 1.3-liter engine. For the Renegade, the gasoline-electric combo sits in the 190 and 240 hp range, resulting in the capacity to go from 0 to 100 km/h in around 7 seconds. We know the figure sounds vague, but it's based on which drive mode you are in.
The somewhat vaguely defined powertrain also offers 50 km (31 miles) of EV range and an all-electric top speed of around 130 km/h. Meanwhile, the CO2 emissions of only 50 grams per kilometer suggest it would be cheap to run. Charging is done via a port on the left rear fender.
But in Europe, the Jeep brand is known for only one thing, and that's ruggedness. That's why this particular off-roader is outfitted with the Trailhawk package. We expect a configuration like this to cost about €40,000 (Trackhawk with 2.0 diesel is €36,000).
Jeep also believes the PHEV is a good off-roader. Thanks to the new electric all-wheel-drive technology (eAWD), traction to the rear axle is not provided by a prop shaft but through a dedicated electric motor. This allows the two axles to be separated and to control the torque independently in a more efficient way.
According to a year-old report, Jeep will electrify every model by 2021, while an EV version of the Wrangler is also planned. And since the Renegade is based on the Small Wide FCA platform, we suspect the same 240 HP setup will also be found on the Alfa Romeo Tonale.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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