96: Jeep Renegade – stands out in an overcrowded crossover market

Top 100 cars for 2019: Compact shape, decent interior space, but a boot that’s just too small for a growing family

Jeep Renegade: New 1.0 and 1.3-litre turbo petrol engines, and an upgrade to the cabin materials, keep the Renegade feeling fresh, and it’s always been pleasant to drive
Jeep Renegade: New 1.0 and 1.3-litre turbo petrol engines, and an upgrade to the cabin materials, keep the Renegade feeling fresh, and it’s always been pleasant to drive

We’ll say this for the Jeep Renegade - at least it looks the part. Amid the blight of small crossovers currently found in every car dealership, the smallest Jeep stands out because of its squareness.

Where others try to meld the lines of a 4x4 and a hatchback when creating their crossovers, Jeep just got out the set-square and the ruler and got to work.

Underneath you’ll find the same mechanical package as the Fiat 500X (itself a rather likeable, underrated car) and that means a compact shape, decent interior space, but a boot that’s just too small for a growing family.

New 1.0 and 1.3-litre turbo petrol engines, and an upgrade to the cabin materials, keep the Renegade feeling fresh, and it’s always been pleasant to drive. If you’re really serious about your off-roading, then you need the hilariously capable Trailhawk version, but if you’re really serious about off-roading, why are you buying a small crossover in the first place?

READ MORE

Best model: Renegade 1.4 MultiAir Longitude for €25,800, or wait for the new engines to drop.

Price range: €21,950 to €37,250. Finance from €252 per month.

Co2 emissions: 115 to 150g/km

Sum up: At least it looks the part.