Based on the same platform as the Compass, the Renegade will be cheaper and is likely to become the automaker’s most affordable SUV in the country. The car is approximately the length of a Renault Duster, but unlike the Duster, this is not a car that’s built to cost - it is much taller and wider than the Renault, and then, its chunky styling makes it resemble a Mini or a new Beetle.
The company could offer the Renegade with the same engines as on the Compass, though with lower power outputs. It will use the now locally assembled 2.0-litre MultiJet diesel engine developing power in the region of 140hp, along with a 1.4-litre MultiAir petrol motor also developing around the same amount of power.
The company may also plonk a 1.6-litre MultiJet diesel engine in the Renegade later. This unit could develop around 120hp and if volumes allow, Jeep could also localise the 1.6 diesel and 1.4 petrol engines. As with the Compass, expect the Renegade to be offered with the option of four-wheel drive on select variants and engine options. The Renegade will also be assembled at the Ranjangaon plant with a launch not expected before end-2018 or early-2019.
Expect the Renegade to cost about ₹1 lakh more than Hyundai’s Creta.
