Dutch YouTuber Praises Renegade’s All-American Facelift
The new LED lights and revised infotainment screen may be nice, but the Renegade impresses by simply being American.
The Renegade is the little Jeep that could. Built in Italy (the first such Jeep to be assembled exclusively outside of North America), the subcompact crossover has conquered every mountain and hillside from Moab to the Outback. Now, for the 2019 model year, the Renegade receives a face-lift to make it better, and then some.
But is it enough to impress Dutch YouTuber Flaxhax? There’s only one way to find out.
“Here we have it: the 2019 Jeep Renegade facelift,” says Flaxhax. “The overall car and the shape remains the same, of course, but we do have some exterior touches that make this car a little bit more modern, and it goes with the time a little bit more now.”
The most noticeable update are the new LED headlights, which are also found on the new Wrangler. The lower bumper is revised to give the Renegade a more sporty SUV appearance, though Flaxhax believes the 17-inch wheels detract from the sportiness, and would opt for a different set. The rear taillights are now also LEDs, and the rear bumper has been revised, as well.
“The interior of the 2019 Jeep Renegade has also received some updates for the facelift,” said Flaxhax. “You do have a bigger infotainment system… a digital screen in the center of the instrument cluster, and some sort of updated steering wheel.”
The buttons on the left side of the steering wheel allow the drive to scroll through the different displays on the instrument cluster, from the trip computer to the digital speedometer. The big upgrade is the infotainment system touchscreen, which is larger than the previous unit. Flaxhax finds the responsiveness of the touchscreen to work very well, especially when he uses his thumb and finger to zoom out on the nav screen. He also loves the wide open windscreen, and finds the seats comfortable.
“One of the first things I notice about the Jeep Renegade and when driving it, as a European, it feels a little bit American,” Flaxhax says while driving around his bit of The Netherlands. “There is some sort of American vibe that comes to you when you drive this car. If you don’t want to buy a pickup truck or a real American car — for example, like a Mustang or a Grand Cherokee — this car provides that small, little, American sort of feeling when you drive this car.”
He also praises the Renegade for being a real Jeep, with its big hood and high driver positioning, as well its comfortable ride and spacious interior, all contributing to its all-American feel.
There are a few dings, though, mainly with the acceleration and finding the right amount of throttle for a given situation, and with the transmission having a hard time finding the right gear once above 30 mph.
“I wasn’t a big fan of the car before it got face-lifted, because it just looked a little bit dull, a little bit boring,” said Flaxhax. “But now, with the new headlights, the new, sort of lower bumper that gives it an extra sporty look, and now I’ve driven it, I’m really starting to like it.”
Score one more fan for the all-American Renegade.
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