We had told you in December 2015 that Jeep had imported both the 4x2 and the 4x4 versions of the Renegade to India after which the company announced its arrival in India at the 2016 Auto Expo. Well, considering it had imported both the cars for R&D in India, we caught one testing in real world conditions.
Jeep Renegade Front Profile
Though fully camouflaged, the circular headlamps and the proportions of the car, it didn't take much time to decipher what car this was. Indeed it was the Renegade. The Renegade is based on the small wide 4x4 platform, which is the same platform as the Fiat 500X. The test mule reinforces Jeep's plans to bring the car to India, however, it cannot be denied that the company might be using the Renegade to to test suspension/drivetrain for the C-SUV as it will use the same platform but will look significantly different and wear a different name.
Now Fiat has grand plans for India which is why it will be investing 280 million dollars in the country. Kevin Flynn, CEO, MD Fiat India had mentioned that the company plans to start producing Jeep branded cars in India and make the country its production hub.
Jeep Renegade Features
Fiat's Ranjangaon plant near Pune, Maharashtra currently manufactures the Punto Evo, Linea and the Avventura. This is a big investment from the company and it affirms the seriousness with which the company approaches a country like India. The plant has an installed capacity of 1.60 lakh cars, and currently uses 70% of that only.
The Renegade is an important product for the company, for starters it will be the most affordable Jeep in the country as it will be priced under the Rs. 20 lakh mark. Powering the Renegade is a Fiat-derived in-line four-cylinder 2.0-litre Multijet2 engine which comes in two state of tunes - 138bhp and 168bhp. Transmission duties are taken care of by a 6-speed manual gearbox and a 9-speed automatic unit respectively. Inside, the Renegade is upholstered in black leather with silver accents, and comes with a climate control system, UConnect with 5-inch screen, 3.5-inch TFT instrument panel, rear parking sensors and cruise control. However, there are no indications or confirmation as yet from Fiat Chrysler India on launching the Renegade in India. It has said that a C-SUV is on the horizon but there are no timelines mentioned.
Jeep Renegade Rear Profile
Also Read: Made-in-India Jeep SUVs to Roll Out of Fiat's Ranjangaon Plant
But if the Renegade does start selling in India, the first units will likely come via the CBU route. The company will start manufacturing the car here and it is slated for 2017. It will be interesting to see how the Renegade stacks up against its rivals.
