Often regarded as a mini-Wrangler due to its boxy exterior design, the Jeep Renegade has nothing in common with it, because it is related to the Fiat 500X, being built around FCA’s Small Wide 4x4 platform. With that off our chest, it’s time to see how Jeep’s subcompact crossover handles the moose test.
Subjected to the challenging maneuver that replicates what happens when one swerves to avoid an obstacle in the middle of the road and then tries to get back in the initial lane with a turn of the wheel, the Jeep Renegade 4xe failed the test, on 235/55 all-season tires from Goodyear, wrapped around the 17-inch wheels.
At 77 kph (48 mph), which is the new norm under Km77’s standards, the plug-in hybrid Renegade revealed its understeer-y nature, as it plunged into the cones and refused to return in the initial lane. At 72 kph (45 mph), the vehicle acted similarly, and the driver had to lower the speed to 70 kph (44 mph) in order to keep it away from the cones.
The Spanish YouTube channel noted that the suspension isn’t too bouncy, and that the ESC doesn’t kick in intrusively.
The result is comparable to that of the Seat Mii Electric, which completed the course at an identical entry speed. On a more positive note, it did beat the Skoda Superb iV and its German cousin from Volkswagen, the Passat GTE, as well as the new-gen Suzuki Jimny, which performed the evasive maneuver at 68 kph (42 mph). The Dacia Spring electric city car did ace the test, completing it at 77 kph (48 mph).
In the slalom, the Jeep Renegade 4xe plug-in hybrid, which has 240 PS (237 HP / 177 kW) available on tap, performed reasonably well, with decent body roll for a vehicle in this class. Increasing the speed revealed the obvious understeer tendency, but its reactions are said to have been predictable.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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