2016 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk: Platform For Success

It's amazing how two sculptors can look at the same block of clay and see something completely different. The same can be said of automotive designers presented with a single platform to be shared across multiple brands: although the building blocks are the same, the end result gets filtered through the expectations of the target buyer, the traditions of each respective automaker, and the creativity of its design team.

One needs to look no further than the 2016 Jeep Renegade to see everything that can go right when presented with the opportunity to make the most of a pre-existing bundle of engine and chassis technology. The Renegade, which was introduced last year, is the life of the small SUV party: eye-catching, capable, affordable, and above all, unmistakably a Jeep in character. Contrasted this against its platform-twin, the Fiat 500X, which fails to rise above the sum of its parts and present family shoppers with a single compelling reason to park one in the driveway.

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The difference, as in almost all things, is in the details when it comes to putting the right spin on a particular vehicular package. Spending a week behind the wheel of the Renegade almost immediately after a similar turn in the 500X showed me how much greater the return can be when heritage is given the chance to play a star turn.

All Eyes On Jeep

The 2016 Jeep Renegade is a show-stopper. I can't remember the last time I drove a car starting under $20,000 that drew so much attention from absolutely everyone. I lost count of the number of times I came back to where I'd parked the subcompact hauler and found one or two people peering in the windows, pointing at the Jeep's squared-off shape, and avidly discussing its looks amongst themselves. Inevitably I'd end up on the receiving end of a compliment regarding the SUV, or fielding questions about price, fuel efficiency, and how it drove.

It's hard to stress just how much of an accomplishment this is for the Renegade's designers. The vast majority of small sport-utility vehicles and crossovers count themselves amongst the blandest-looking options on the market, but Jeep gave its inexpensive SUV a personality that draws on its aforementioned heritage rather simple retro chic. With upright lines, classic Jeep cues such as the seven-slot grille, the squared-off greenhouse, and unique removable roof panels, the Renegade looks dynamic, not dated. Inside and out, the vehicle is also loaded with Easter eggs, tiny call-outs to long-time Jeep fans such as an original Willys crawling up the windshield blackout and more grille motifs than you can shake a stick at.

Reasonably Useful, Day-To-Day

The 2016 Jeep Renegade might be small, but you're still looking at a respectable increase over the amount of interior room you'd find in a typical compact hatchback. I was able to stuff items measuring six-feet in length into the Renegade's cargo confines simply by folding the rear seats forward and making use of the tunnel between the two front thrones - even with the bag intended to store the Jeep's roof panels along for the ride. The rear seat of the SUV isn't all that spacious, but for short stints it will be fine: this vehicle is intended primarily for younger couples who want to get away for the weekend, not for families seeking a toddler-toter.

Off-Road Capable, On-Road Comfortable

The Trailhawk model that I drove for the week is by far the most rugged version of the Renegade money can buy - and in fact, it's also the only edition of the Jeep that the brand advertises as "trail ready." The Trailhawk badge brings several important changes to the Lilliputian people mover, including a four-wheel-drive system with first-gear low-range capability, the Selec-Terrain system (useful for dialling in drivetrain response for the exact obstacles you are facing down), and a tweaked suspension setup. I've punished the Renegade Trailhawk across some fairly serious ground in the past, and even this past week I had the chance to climb steeply-angled mud-and-sand berms, which the trucklet handled with little complaint. It's not just m-a-r-keting - the Trailhawk delivers when the going gets tough.

More importantly, however, is that the Jeep is also fairly comfy to drive on-pavement, which is where it will most likely spend the majority of its time. Handling is on par with what I have come to expect from similarly-sized crossovers, and the 2.4-litre, four-cylinder engine that comes as part of the Trailhawk package produces a modest, but useful 180 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. It also comes paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, a unit that suffered from almost constant squirm-shifting in the identically-equipped Fiat 500X, but which in the Renegade only asked me to endure the occasional clunk when moving from second to third gear. The Jeep certainly isn't quick, especially when merging onto the highway, but it's well within the expectations engendered by its peers. If you want to avoid the nine-speed, you can do so by skipping the Trailhawk and sticking with the entry-level model's manual transmission and four-cylinder turbo drivetrain.

Looking Forward, Looking Back

In the words of Jules Winfield, personality goes a long way. The 2016 Jeep Renegade offers a clear link to the brand's traditions despite being built off of a thoroughly modern platform that, in Fiat guise, is wholly uninteresting. By carefully staking out visual territory that inextricably links the Renegade to popular models like the current Wrangler and past achievements from Willys - alongside transmission tuning that smooshes the bugs that have plagued the 500X's deployment - Jeep has created an authentic, affordable, and appealing entry-level SUV option. After all, what's a platform, really, other than a jumping-off point? The sharp contrast between the Renegade and the 500X reveals that even when launching from the same spot, you've got to pick the right direction to leap in order to avoid the rocks.