India-Bound Jeep Renegade Details Revealed
The Jeep Renegade facelift debuts FCA’s new MultiAir III turbo petrol engines that can be used in combination with electrical propulsion systems as well
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Jeep unveiled the Renegade facelift recently and now the American automaker has revealed the details of the upcoming India-bound compact SUV. Although it isn’t official yet, the Renegade should hit the Indian market by early-2019.
The highlight of the updated Renegade is the new MultiAir III turbocharged petrol engines. The 2019 Renegade is the first car under the FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) umbrella to be powered by the new downsized turbo petrol family. The updated compact SUV will be offered with the option of a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder motor or a 1.3-litre 4-cylinder engine from the MultiAir III family. Both engines feature direct injection and forced induction.
The smaller 1.0-litre engine comes in a single flavour offering 120PS of power and 190Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed manual. The 1.3-litre motor, on the other hand, is available in two states of tune: 150PS/270Nm (7-speed dual-clutch) and 180PS/270Nm (9-speed automatic in an AWD setup). FCA says that these new MultiAir III engines will also be introduced in other models later this year.
We believe that the bigger 1.3-litre engine (180/270Nm) will eventually replace the Compass’ relatively less powerful 1.4-litre MultiAir II (163PS/250Nm) motor. What reaffirms this further is the fact that the new MultiAir III engines can also be used alongside electrical propulsion systems (hybrid powertrains). And we already know that FCA is planning to launch electrified versions of the Compass with its mid-life refresh. Expect these engines to make their way to India through the 2018 Renegade, updated Compass and Jeep’s upcoming made-for-India sub-4m SUV.
As far as diesel engines are concerned, the Renegade carries forward the existing 1.6-litre (120PS) and 2.0-litre (140PS and 170PS) MultiJet II units. The 1.6-litre engine can be had with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. The 2.0-litre engine, on the other hand, is available with a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic transmission.
Pictured: 2019 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk
The most extreme Trailhawk version of the updated Renegade is powered by the 2.0-litre diesel with the same 9-speed auto ‘box seen on the Compass. FCA has now discontinued the 1.4-litre MultiAir II turbo petrol and the 2.4-litre naturally aspirated petrol engines that were available with pre-facelift version of the SUV.
Pictured: 2019 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk
Apart from the new engines, the 2019 Renegade facelift has also received new LED headlamps and fog lamps and the latest fourth-gen FCA Uconnect infotainment system with the option of a 5-inch, 7-inch or 8.4-inch touchscreen. The latter two support both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
If launched, the Renegade, which is based on the same Small-Wide 4x4 platform as the Jeep Compass, will compete with compact SUVs such as the Hyundai Creta, Renault Captur, the upcoming second-gen Renault Duster and the rumoured Nissan Kicks. Expect Jeep to price the Renegade at around Rs 10 lakh.
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