The Jeep Renegade Compact SUV Makes Every Journey Joyful.

Jeep has a Capable small SUV in the Renegade, which is now the entry model of the brand. Roadtests and Reviews tested its credentials in the urban environment and the freedom of the wild.

I took the good looking Limited model to the Brecon Beacons to test it on great roads and lovely off-road terrain. Jeep gave the Renegade an update in 2018 offering new engine choices, LED lights and improvements inside such as Touchscreen display.

There is a broad range of engine choices from the Petrol units, with

1.0-litre tri-cylinder turbo unit with 118bhp, and a 1.3-litre four-cyl turbo good for 148 or 178bhp. The Diesel choices start with, a 118bhp 1.6-litre, or a 2.0-litre with either 138bhp or 170bhp.

I found on motorways the Renegade lacked the power to cruise comfortably at the limit, but using the six-speed gearbox well you can have some fun on the twisting A and B roads. When you do venture off-road then you do want the 4x4 78bhp petrol engine, with nine-speed automatic. Although the model I had handled less challenging untarmacked lanes adequately.

For a high and wide car, the Renegade handles well enough and doesn't roll as you would expect.

The Renegade’s rivals are the Mini Countryman, Renault Captur and the Suzuki Vitara and it proves a very good buy against these. At prices starting from £ 19,745

There are four models in the range with Sport as entry-level, Longitude the middle option, Limited stacked full of kit, finally Trailhawk for off-road purists.

Easy to use touchscreen display.

All models are well equipped, Sport, features air-conditioning, alloy wheels, cruise control, DAB radio and a touchscreen infotainment system as standard. Longitude gains you larger wheels, roof rails, rear parking sensors, two-zone climate control, sat-nav, smartphone mirroring plus enhanced stereo and leather steering wheel. If you choose Limited you get more luxury with leather seats, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and full LED lights.

If you want to splash out in more ways than one and are a true wilderness voyager then go for the Trailhawk that has been toughened to cope with true off-road driving. It gets underbody skid plates and more appropriative tyres with a mud and snow tread making it stand out in its SUV class for handling and performance off-road. You can only purchase Trailhawk with the most powerful diesel engine though.

Safety is always paramount and Jeep has fitted Renegade models with

lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and intelligent speed assist.

Inside, the Renegade is spacious and comfortable offering good carrying capacity for passengers and cargo. It is practical too with a large glovebox, front passenger and driver have a double cup holder between them and the infotainment system worked from the touchscreen display. Modern needs are catered for with a 12v charge point, USB ports as well as an auxiliary port to connect MP3 player.

The Renegade has a good clear display unit.

There has been added improvements with a smartphone holder placed in the dashboard, also extra storage space and new cup-holders.

Overall the Jeep Renegade offers a great choice as a Compact SUV. The entry level offers good value for money but you may want to opt for the Limited version to increase the specifications you get. It is well built and has good looks.