2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk VIDEO REVIEW

2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk VIDEO REVIEW By Auto Critic Steve Hammes

By in large, any expectation of real off-road capability left the small SUV segment long ago. Most of these types have body dimensions and all-wheel drive systems geared for the dirt road to camp. But what if you crave something more from your small SUV? Well, Jeep has the answer with their all-new Renegade Trailhawk.

Chrysler’s tie-up with Fiat is producing a steady stream of new vehicles with Italian origins and thus far the results have been positive. The subcompact Renegade is actually imported from Italy and shares a platform with the Fiat 500L. It’s a Jeep designed for an audience beyond our shores and gives one of the industry’s hottest brands yet another in-demand small-sized SUV.

Its design is as polarizing as is this Commando paint and in Jeep circles – in other words, Wrangler world – the Renegade has been unfairly treated like a red-headed stepchild. But don’t let that dissuade you from a closer inspection because you’ll find out, just like I did, that the Renegade is a compelling entry, offering attributes you can’t find anywhere else in the segment.

This is the Trail Rated version known as the Trailhawk and it resides at the top of the 4 trim Renegade lineup with a starting MSRP of about $27,000. This is the model you want if you truly have the Jeep spirit because it adds the more serious off-road components that allow you to go farther. There’s an increased ride height of nearly 9” with skid plates and front and rear tow hooks. It’s assembled with unique fascias affording better approach, departure and breakover angles – some of which best the vaunted Wrangler. There’s up to 8.1” of wheel articulation, it can ford over a foot and a half of water and adds a Rock Mode to the Selec-Terrain system. It rides on unique 17” wheels, wrapped in garden variety Goodyear Wrangler SR-A tires – though I have to say they get the job done, even over sharp rocks.

A stock Wrangler Rubicon can have an impressive crawl ratio of greater than 70:1, using low gears to achieve maximum torque at the wheels allowing slow and steady movement over rough terrain. This Trailhawk’s crawl ratio is 20: 1 – still quite respectable for an automatic transmission Jeep that is this on-road friendly and can net 29mpg highway.

The Trailhawk runs with the bigger of the 2 Renegade motors; a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder making 180 horsepower and 175 pound feet of torque. But unlike Honda’s mill of equal displacement in the CR-V, this Fiat engine doesn’t benefit from a fuel saving DOHC design or direct-injection and thus, even with the Renegade’s innovative disconnecting rear axle, its 24mpg combined rating is 4mpg less. The sometimes maligned Chrysler Group’s 9-speed automatic didn’t pose any issues for me this week with the exception of an occasional stutter – something fairly typical in gearboxes with this many cogs. And the ride quality benefits from a fully independent setup with new Koni selective damping struts that automatically adjust to road and driving conditions, though I occasionally noticed some harshness from the rear when encountering the kind of road anomaly that causes one-time compression and rebound.

Its tidy dimensions, dummy-proof Selec-Terrain system with hill decent control and great forward sightlines make the Trailhawk a very fun and confident.

For as capable on the trail as it is, I’m even more impressed with the Renegade’s on-road ride. The Tigershark engine and 9-speed auto give it ample power and it satisfies the driver in ways I wasn’t expecting – with nimble car-like handling and driving refinement.

The sport fabric seats are comfortable and hold you firmly in place and the cabin is full of Jeep character and attention to detail…a really fine job by Jeep interior designers who crafted a whimsical space with soft touch materials and excellent technology and displays. UConnect is arguably the easiest and best infotainment system on the market and with the options on my tester, the features are deep – such as a heated steering wheel, heated seats, navigation, Sat and HD radio, Keyless Go and remote start. It’s packed for a favorable MSRP of $30,195. The rear seats have no space issues but this is a subcompact and as such the cargo room with rear seats up is tiny.

Jeep sales are booming and the Renegade Trailhawk fills out the bottom of their lineup with a new breed of off-roader.

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