Jeep Renegade review - FQ Magazine

Be more experimental in your choice of vehicle with Jeep’s peculiar yet family-practical SUV.

Follow motoring journalist Tim Barnes-Clay on Instagram @tbarnesclay.

You know when you tear open a packet of your favourite chocs? It’s a cheeky treat – and it makes you feel a little naughty, doesn’t it? Well, Jeep’s Renegade gives you the same sensation.

The overall look is tough, yet smart, thanks to a mixture of the brand’s traditional styling cues, such as the round headlamps that blend with the still relatively modern appearance.

Inside, the Renegade houses functional details manufactured from quality materials. It’s a practical motor, too, thanks to decent cabin space and useful storage areas.

Sturdy mountain goat

Kit has been designed to increase onboard comfort, with tech that includes an infotainment system, accessed via a touchscreen.

There are different powertrain and trim combinations, each of which offers a combination of efficiency and performance. I drove the punchy 170ps 2.0-litre Multijet-II nine-speed Auto 4×4 Trailhawk.

It’s like a sturdy mountain goat off-road, and yet it’s a comfortable little carriage on the road. So if you’re after something a bit distinctive, and you like venturing away from the tarmac on occasion, then this Jeep could be for you.

Furthermore, you can take your family along for the ride. “What?” I hear you exclaim. Yes, that’s right: the Renegade is good transport for your children, too.

So, appreciate having your kids about while they’re little, because they’ll always remember dad with that peculiar but kind of cool Jeep – the motor that no other parent in the street was experimental enough to buy.