It’s better when there’s some charge in the battery, but the small 11.4kWh pack only has an official range of 30 miles, so you don’t have to travel very far before the petrol engine kicks in. And when the motor does fire up, it can become pretty coarse, especially under hard acceleration. There’s plenty of urge once you’re moving, but it’s not the most pleasant experience.
The rest of the drive isn’t a patch on newer rivals, either. There’s good grip and the ride is reasonable on those small wheels, but body roll is pronounced and the steering offers little in the way of feedback, too.
You would expect a hybrid powertrain to deliver efficiency, but the Renegade’s older plug-in system doesn’t perform as well as the more modern set-ups found in updated rivals. Official fuel economy is 134.5mpg, which will only be attainable in the real world if you keep the battery charged. However, similarly priced rivals such as the Hyundai Kona PHEV and BYD Seal U have figures in the 200-300mpg range under the same test conditions, revealing the limited range that the Renegade offers these days.
One plus point of the Jeep that’s still present is the amount of space on offer. Those upright, boxy proportions mean there’s plenty of headroom, even with the panoramic roof installed. Knee space isn’t quite as good, but deep bases mean the rear seats are more supportive than those found in some competitor cars. The boot offers a decent amount of space, with 330 litres in the 4xe and 351 litres in the Hybrid; the cube-shaped area is easy to load.
The cabin itself looks quite dated for 2025, too, with plenty of hard plastics. But since the Renegade is an older car, it features plenty of physical controls instead of touchscreen functions. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are present so you can bypass the native infotainment system if you want, while a third bank of controls beneath the climate settings offers a range of off-road settings.
And that’s one area where the Renegade can still run rings around similarly sized and priced rivals. Choose a four-wheel drive version, and you’ll have more off-road capability than you’re ever likely to need. It gives the US firm a unique selling point that no other rival at this price point can compete with, even when cars such as the Renegade are past their best.
| Model: | Jeep Renegade 1.3 Turbo PHEV North Star |
| Price: | £38,610 |
| Powertrain: | 1.3-litre 4cyl plug-in hybrid, 1x e-motor |
| Power/torque: | 237bhp/270Nm |
| Transmission: | Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph/top speed: | 7.1 seconds/124mph |
| Economy/CO2: | 134.5mpg/ 48g/km |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,236/1,805/1,692mm |
| On sale: | Now |
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