[shankar.balan]

Recently on a holiday in France we had rented a Jeep Renegade top spec 2WD - 140BHP 2 litre Diesel Manual Left Hand Drive for 7-8 days.
It is a tough car. We enjoyed it a lot.

Very nice high up sitting position and commanding views of the roads.
Took it along some smaller country roads apart from the main Autoroutes.

The cruise control feature is one thing I really liked, especially when one has to observe speed limits. Safety was more than adequate with the 6-7 airbags and traction control and hill hold control and ABS/ EBD etc.

It’s is a very nice vehicle all things considered.

Ideal for two people and their luggage. Plenty of room in the rear boot area as well as the flat folding rear seats etc. Though it doesn’t have the 3 way split seats and seat roll over ability and complete seat removal that the Yeti has.

One does feel like rapping the Jeep around because it is inherently “tough” and feels strong enough to drive with a lot of confidence on poor broken roads etc. 17 inch wheels but with the same width and height/ size of tyres as the OEM Tyres on the Yeti.

The size and proportions are comfortable, but a trifle wide for the extremely narrow streets in the towns of Southern France. It feels a little bigger and longer than the Yeti but in actual fact it may be more or less the same size, though taller.

My own feeling was that it is an extremely well knit package and if I owned one, would tend to beat it nicely compared to how I use my Yeti.

It does feel bigger and taller as well as more spacious than the Yeti and its taller stance makes it actually feel more imposing. Powerful torquey engine and doesn’t suffer at slow speeds in low gear. The top gear (6th) is a perfect cruiser gear.

Same gear shift flow as the Yeti though one operates it with one’s right hand. But thats never been an issue for me. Quite used to it.

A good Fiat Multijet 2 - engine.

However, it lacks some of the features that my 7 year old Yeti has including 4WD and such. But it does have an inbuilt satnav and apple car play and an electronic parking brake and stuff. And for normal use one does not feel the lack of 4WD at all. It has a lighter clutch than the Yeti because it is 2WD.

Saying this, it would certainly be a good car for India, because it is much more compact than the Compass and is far better engineered and much much tougher than the Creta and other similar vehicles which are sold here.

It feels tough both inside and outside. Hence one would “beat” it more.

If they would consider bringing it into India at a fair price - approx 20 lacs for the top spec 4WD Trailhawk, it would certainly be a big hit.
Sadly, with the Dollar, Euro and Pound ruling at the present rates, the pricing is more likely to be in the region of 30 Lacs - and at that price point, people tend to buy more “real estate” in terms of bigger vehicles.

The Renegade would certainly be a great lifestyle choice here. Provided of course that they bring it in and guarantee good service.

[pavi]

Jeep Renegade India Launch Expected Late Next Year

Jeep Renegade could be showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo before entering showrooms in the due course of the year.

Source

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by pavi

Jeep Renegade India Launch Expected Late Next Year

Not sure how authentic is the source, but lack of urgency shown by FCA is quite appalling. Compass has gone from a possible blockbuster to a (less than) average selling model. I wonder if this one model alone can push them forward until late 2020.

[volkman10]

Jeep Renegade Euro NCAP tested,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1df...ature=emb_logo

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Jeep Renegade Euro NCAP tested.

What are the 82 & 84% numbers for adult and child occupants? Are those the scores made? Not often do we see cars scoring better for child occupant over adult one.

3 Stars in EuroNCAP is not a surprise for an upright short car IMO. Wonder how much would it score in GNCAP. Considering GNCAP doesn't do almost half of the ENCAP tests, maybe it will score a respectable 4 with just frontal offset test.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Not sure how authentic is the source, but lack of urgency shown by FCA is quite appalling.

Jeep/ FCA is one more lackadaisical company just like Maruti is.

Long ago, as early as 2004-2005 itself many of us recognised the desperate need in India for a short compact highly capable SUV with all the bells and whistles, in order to take on our Indian Terrain. Basically a modern replacement/ alternative for the Gypsy. They could very easily have given us the earlier generation Vitara or Samurai or Escudo.

Of course Jeep only entered India recently.
But Maruti have been there forever.

It is therefore, criminal on the part of Maruti, in 2019-2020, to try and pass off that Brezza as an SUV and that S Presso as an SUV-like hatch in today's much more well informed and evolved market.

And it is really idiotic of them not to bring in the lovely new Jimny and/ or the Vitara etc.

It is downright stupid of Jeep/ FCA to wantonly ignore the opportunity in India for the Renegade.

All that they need to do is bring in the UK or Australia spec to India and make sure these get
manufactured in India and exported thereonwards to other RHD markets from here! And please oh please, do offer us also the choice of all the bells and whistles as you do abroad!

FCA need to have more than one arrow in their quiver for sure. Because the Compass, like it or not, has begun to flag.

And Fiat has silently packed its bags and buzzed off from India too.

So they definitely need to create a few options for themselves here in order to remain relevant.

[arvindmanju]

Originally Posted by pavi

Jeep Renegade India Launch Expected Late Next Year

Jeep Renegade could be showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo before entering showrooms in the due course of the year.

Source

Just asking out of curiosity did JEEP have a stall in this year’s auto expo?

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by arvindmanju

Just asking out of curiosity did JEEP have a stall in this year’s auto expo?

Curiosity + sarcasm I'm guessing . No they didn't have a stall. Unlike Mahindra, it seems FCA/Jeep decided it wasn't wise to spend so much money to show no new cars.

[volkman10]

The Renegade is axed in Australia, sluggish sales are to blame. Renegade sold only 70 units in 2019.

Contrary to the title the Renegade will not be coming to India.

Link

[RM Motorsports]

The Jeep Renegade was spotted testing in India on the Goa-Mangalore highway.

https://www.carandbike.com/news/jeep...t-time-2242441

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by RM Motorsports

The Jeep Renegade was spotted testing in India on the Goa-Mangalore highway.

Interestingly its flashing genuine private registration plates and not the usual red-white test plates.

This is a car registered with FCA India & is a diesel powered unit. Interestingly the Parivahan site does not specify any emission norm compliance either. I wonder why this imported (must be) specimen is doing tests on our roads with an actual individual registration plate.

Personally - I hope the Renegade comes, with a large price spectrum spread. It can give FCA a unique opportunity to pit a car in the segment around the Creta right upto the mid variant of Compass, by throwing in a basic AWD in it (instead of full 4x4). A 1.6L Multijet diesel made compliant to BSVI would really make this car a formidable player in the segment and can infuse some life into the mummy of FCA India that currently awaits burial.

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

--I wonder why this imported (must be) specimen is doing tests on our roads -

This could be for testing power trains/components for their Compact SUV scheduled for 2021/22.

[shankar.balan]

I have a scale model Renegade. I guess I shall have to be content with that.

Thing is, these manufacturers are NEVER going to look at what they perceive to be a niche/ lifestyle market because it simply wont deliver the numbers they want.

So, I guess we, being enthusiasts, will continue to simply live with our old Gypsys or Thars and modify them to suit our specific needs.

The only vehicle (people will be angry at me I know) that even came close to delivering a holistic experience based on our needs, was that Yeti. And now I ve sold mine also.

So it is time to look for different vehicular experiences.
However impractical I may sound, my middle aged brain is wandering increasingly towards Sports cars and that ilk.

If FCA wishes to succeed here in India, it cannot place all its bets on the Compass alone. The market needs change. It needs innovation and new products. So they had better think up something if they want to succeed long term.

[motorworks]

We have seen Jeep testing Renegade on Indian roads for quite sometime now and its more or less official that the Renegade in its true form will not make it to India. I see two possibilities in the future from Jeep, one is the 7 seater version of the Compass, which I think will surely make it to India by next year. And the second one, should be a compact SUV, not sure if its sub 4m or the size of a Creta, but it looks more likely that it would be a smaller SUV. Looking at FCAs speed of doing things in India, I dont know if anyone has a definitive timeframe for this car. Or even if its been internally approved or not.

Even if Jeep had brought the Renegade to India at a slightly higher price than the Creta and the Seltos, or equivalent to the higher variants of these cars, it would have worked. Renegade at on road prices of 17-20 lakhs would have been sweet, just below the compass.

[2cents]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Thing is, these manufacturers are NEVER going to look at what they perceive to be a niche/ lifestyle market because it simply wont deliver the numbers they want.

Why bring the Compass here then? Why such a huge investment to upgrade their facility? Even in the days of Fiat their attitude was no different, with just two budget grade vehicles in their portfolio for an entire decade. I think we should stop blaming us consumers for FCA's lethargy and lack of vision (you may add Honda and Toyota too here). Not convinced, just see what KIA has done.