Test drive Jeep Renegade Trailhawk
Renegade Trailhawk is an extreme version of the smallest Jeep, which copes with difficult off-road conditions not with the help of mechanical components, but thanks to smart electronics
The winding narrow road goes up sharply and heads towards the foggy foothills of the North Caucasus, which have already been covered with the first snow. The hard surface is left behind, and the off-road tires step on their "native land" - a bumpy pass with stone embankments, ice, steep climbs and blind turns. Where asphalt gives way to smashed dirt roads that haven't seen a grader in ages, there is a line between the standard Jeep Renegade and its hardcore version of the Trailhawk.
Introduced in 2014, the Jeep Renegade has become a truly special model for the American brand. Even his name suggests that he is not from the Cherokee tribe, has nothing to do with the Wrangler Shepherd and does not share the views of the Patriot. His name is "Renegade", that is, an apostate and even a traitor. This is the company's first car to be produced outside of North America, and the first car to be built on a Fiat chassis. Finally, it is simply the smallest car in the history of the brand.
Undoubtedly, the Americans have produced compact models before - take the same Compass and Patriot. However, Renegade really turned out to be something completely different. No offense, Fiat Chrysler, but the basic Sport crossover with a 1,6-liter 110-horsepower aspirated engine, front-wheel drive and 170 mm ground clearance is able to compete only with city curbs and light country roads. However, the Renegade Trailhawk has now reached Russia, proving that the "schismatic" can remain a real "Jeep".
The bright palette of body colors (we got a poisonous green car) gives the little pop-eyed Jeep even more cartoonishness. Even the proprietary seven slots on the radiator grille, round headlights and trapezoidal wheel arches look somewhat toy-like, although they are designed to remind of the legendary Willys that took place in World War II. Like many other "Easter eggs" inside and out, like the X-shaped elements on the lanterns - a reference to the characteristic pattern on the fuel cans.
Just below the A-pillars, the Trail Rated plate glitters - for Jeep cars, it is like the Medal of Honor for a veteran who participated in the Normandy Landing. This title is awarded to models or their modifications that have passed kilometers of difficult off-road tests and have the appropriate equipment before being launched into a series.
Jeep Renegade Trailhawk differs from its civilian counterparts with a retuned suspension with increased travel, steel underbody protection, reinforced side skirts, tow hooks, and off-road tires with Kevlar reinforcements. The ground clearance increased to 225 mm and the bumpers of a special shape provide the entry and exit angles of 30 and 34 degrees, respectively - this is the best indicator among the entire current Jeep line, which is surpassed only by the two-door version of the Wrangler.
In the interior, the “Since 1941” lettering on the front panel is striking. It was in July 1941, five months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, that Willys-Overland received a government order for the serial production of the legendary Willys MB military SUV, which became the progenitor of Jeep cars.
Easter eggs are literally everywhere. Instead of a red zone, the tachometer shows traces of orange mud, and the speakers in the front doors show a Willis grille. The center console, front armrest compartment and seat upholstery features a topographic map of the American Moab Desert, the site of the annual mass pilgrimage of Jeep fans to host the famous Easter Safari.
Between the dials of the tidy, a seven-inch display is conveniently located, on which all useful information can be displayed, including navigator prompts, warnings of auxiliary systems and data on suspension operation and fuel consumption in real time.
The fuel is consumed here by the most voluminous and efficient unit offered for the Renegade - a 2,4-liter naturally aspirated gasoline "four" of the Tiger Shark family. On the Russian version of the crossover, the engine produces 175 hp. and 232 Nm of torque. Such recoil is quite enough for a 1625-kg car, although there is some strain in the work of the engine during overtaking on the highway.
The engine is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, which, by the way, is very proud of in the Jeep. The Renegade is the only compact SUV in the world to feature a transmission with so many gears. Under normal conditions, the car starts off exclusively from the second stage, while the shortened first speed performs the function of "lowering" here.
The Jeep Active Drive Low all-wheel drive system, implemented through a multi-plate clutch with an axle lock function, can be optimized for various types of surfaces. So, in addition to the automatic, the modes Snow ("Snow"), Sand ("Sand"), Mud ("Dirt") and Rock ("Stones") are provided.
The first helps to move on ice or rolled snow - the electronics proactively reacts to the slightest slip and instantly chokes the engine if necessary. Tractive effort in Sand mode, on the other hand, allows for slight slippage, preventing the car from digging, and in Mud mode, the wheels are already allowed to skid hard to get to the dense surface.
The motocross track in the Tuapse region, where the World Championship stage is even held, Renegade passes effortlessly. He easily descends and climbs slopes of incredible steepness, on which motorcycles jump, and confidently overcomes fords half a meter deep. It is even more easy for the driver, who can only direct the car to the next hill and press the pedals - all the rest of the work is done by the auxiliary systems.
However, after leaving the rocky beach, there is a fear that the car is about to be buried and sit on its belly. The special Rock riding mode comes to the rescue, available only for the Trailhawk version. After activating it, the electronics allows you to transfer up to 95% of the torque to each of the wheels if necessary, thanks to which the crossover confidently climbs up the rocky embankment.
But too large holes in 17-inch alloy wheels are a rather controversial decision. After a trip along the empty Black Sea coast, a large stone hammered into the brake mechanism, which penetrated there with the ease of a billiard ball flying into the pocket of the table for the "American". After that, the car began to emit a lingering howling sound, similar to that produced by the trolleybus gearbox during acceleration.
Still, the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk is a well-crafted versatile compact SUV that is probably prepared for the Russian realities like no other classmate. For a small urban crossover, which at the same time is not afraid to go even devilishly, you will have to pay a lot. It will cost at least $ 25 - $ 500 more than the base Sport crossover.
Thus, for the price, the Renegade Trailhawk is a competitor to the all-wheel drive MINI Countryman (from $ 25), with which it can rival in the level of equipment, external charisma and historical heritage. However, off-road, the "American", most likely, will not leave a chance for the "Briton". Yes, his past is much more combative.
| A type | Crossover |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4236/1805/1697 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2570 |
| Cargo space, l | 351 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1625 |
| engine's type | Gasoline, atmospheric |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 2360 |
| Max. power, h.p. (at rpm) | 175/6400 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | 232/4800 |
| Drive type, transmission | Full, AKP9 |
| Max. speed km / h | 180 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 9,8 |
| Fuel consumption (mixed cycle), l / 100 km | 9,4 |
| Price from, USD | 25 500 |
