Driving report Jeep Renegade PHEV
With the Renegade, Jeep - figuratively speaking - carries owls to Athens. The smallest representative of the American cult brand is also their first model, which is making its way from a European factory back to the USA. If you want to move the compact SUV built in Melfi, Italy with all-wheel drive, you have to use it as a Plug-in hybrid order. AUTOHUB has extensively tested this jeep with a connection for the socket.
Just 4,24 meters long, the Jeep Renegade with the brand-typical seven-braced radiator grille, trapezoidal wheel arches and massive underride protection looks like a miniature version of the Wrangler. In memory of the common ancestor Willis from the forties, he looks out of his round headlights more like an adventure into the world than a renegade - the German translation for Renegade. Corners and edges in the eye-catching “Blue Shadow” -coloured sheet metal cladding of the test vehicle and impressive slope and ramp angles indicate that it is by no means afraid of shirt-sleeved work.
Even with little electricity, the electric all-wheel drive will not run out of breath
A blue border around the Jeep logo and the word "4xe" distinguish it Renegade with the hybrid drive, apart from the fact that it weighs a hefty 200 kilograms more, from the brother with the pure combustion engine. After the Italian / Americans have consistently dispensed with diesel, there are only a three-cylinder with 120 hp as an entry-level engine and a 1,3 liter four-cylinder that can be ordered without electrical support with 150 hp. In the test car, the same engine sends 180 hp to the front axle, while the power of a 60 hp electric motor drives the rear. An extra powerful belt generator ensures that the small jeep with this electronic four-wheel drive does not run out of breath even with little power in the battery.
The small Renegade offers a solution even for more demanding routes
Lou Reed with his "Walk on the Wild Side" can be heard from the eight loudspeakers of the Kenwood Premium Sound System. A feasible challenge for the 1.845-tonne little Rauhbein, which also has a solution ready for more demanding routes. 270 Newton meters of maximum torque ensure a high-torque drive, which is rather rare in this vehicle class. Even deep streams leave the little adventurer unimpressed. If the front passenger does lose his grip on the comfortable leather seats (1.090 euros surcharge), a sturdy handle at navel height in front of him will quickly provide a remedy.
Up to sixty assistants are on hand if necessary
In addition, the Renegade hardly leaves anything to be desired for active and passive support: up to sixty helpers such as the collision warning system with emergency braking function, the lane keeping and blind spot assistant or the rear lateral movement detection, an automatic parking aid and an attention assistant are available if required on the spot. The only drawback: You don't really want to get used to the sometimes rude acoustic background.
50 kilometers purely electric range
After entering the motorway, the combustion engine quickly takes over with a slight jolt. A sprint of 7,1 seconds from 0 to 100 km / h creates the wow effect that is common with electric drives. Driving at the limit at 190 km / h is then promptly acknowledged by the on-board computer with over eight liters of fuel consumption. When the battery is fully charged, the Renegade can travel a maximum of 130 kilometers on electric power at a speed of up to 50 km / h.
If you always charge nicely, you don't need to refuel
The 8,4-inch display on the instrument panel always shows you the charging status and the range. Charging times, driving history, energy flows and the remaining range are other important menu items in the UConnect infotainment system. Bargain hunters recharge the battery in E-Save mode using regenerative braking and e-sailing and plan charging processes at home using the My-Uconnect app when electricity is particularly cheap. The 11,4kWh battery can be recharged in five hours at the socket and in less than two hours at the wallbox. All Renegade 4xe versions are below a net list price of 40.000 euros, which clears the way for the environmental bonus of 7.110 euros gross. The driven Renegade S starts at 41.526,05 euros and costs 43,933,78 euros with the metallic paintwork, leather seat covers and the Kenwood premium sound system.
