The Jeep Renegade Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary, But Not in the United States
The Jeep Renegade is not returning to the United States for 2024, but it is still going strong in other parts of the world.
Last year Stellantis announced that they were not going to sell the Jeep Renegade in the United States in 2024. No, not the funky YJ Renegade. That was gone decades ago. We are talking about the mini crossover Jeep Renegade that is based on the Fiat 500X. The model was killed off here due to declining sales. The tiny Jeep debuted in 2014 and it reached peak popularity in 2016 and 2017 with over 100,000 units being sold in the U.S. each of those years. But in 2022 only 27,551 were sold and that number dropped to 26,012 in 2023. So, Stellantis pulled the plug here. But the Renegade is still going strong in other markets and will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year. During that time nearly 2 million of these little Jeeps have been sold worldwide.
The Jeep Renegade was conceived as a global model from the start. And indeed, the vehicle was sold in more than 100 markets around the world. It also has the distinction of being the first Jeep vehicle to be assembled in Italy in the Melfi factory. The order books for the 2024 Jeep Renegade will be opening in Europe soon.
European Renegade
In the U.S. all Jeep Renegade models got the same 9-speed automatic transmission hooked up to a 1.3L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine making 177 horsepower. But in Europe there are two hybrid models. There is a Renegade 4xe plug-in Hybrid. This model produces up to 240 horsepower and can get the little SUV to scoot to 60 mph in about 7 seconds. There is also a Renegade e-Hybrid model that uses a 1.5L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that makes 130 horsepower, plus a 48V electric motor that chips in with an additional 20 horsepower. This model is front-wheel drive only, so it is not going to be the off-road Jeep of your dreams. These vehicles still sell well enough to continue on over there. And it makes sense as Europeans typically drive smaller, and more efficient vehicles than us Yanks.
Renegade Future in U.S.
The Renegade is dead for now, but will a refreshed version be offered here at a later date? As of now there is no plan to do so, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. For now, Stellantis gives us the Dodge Hornet which is the smallest SUV in Dodge’s lineup and closest to what the Renegade was. But sales of the Hornet have been even weaker than the Jeep. Through nine months last year only 9,314 Hornet’s were sold. If we extrapolate that out over a full year, that would be roughly 13,000 Hornet sales. About half the number of Renegades that were sold. So, maybe Stellantis should think about getting another Renegade over here, and fast.
Images: Stellantis
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