Jeep Renegade 4xe 2020 first drive

“It’s the start of a new era!” Jeep says. “It’s to reduce your fleet CO2 average!” we say. Regardless, it’s a show of confidence in the rough and tough US maker that it’s the first Fiat Chrysler Automobiles brand with a European presence to receive a plug-in hybrid powertrain. 

And it won’t be the last. It’ll come as no surprise that Jeep is one of the biggest polluters in the group’s stable, and even FCA’s emissions credit pooling with Tesla will go only so far to remedying that. So Jeep needs electrification to do some of the legwork. The ever-popular Jeep Jeep Renegade takes priority but soon to follow are a plug-in Jeep Compass and Jeep Wrangler, and all models will feature some form of battery propulsion by 2022. 

The Renegade 4xe (pronounced 4-by-e) joins an ever-growing rank of plug-in SUVs, but Jeep touts the Mini Countryman PHEV as its main challenger. Pricing is broadly similar, although the Jeep is more comprehensively equipped as standard. 

It makes use of a 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine, itself giving 128bhp (or a sprightly 177bhp in top-spec Trailhawk trim, which we’re not driving here). That’s combined with a 59bhp electric motor mounted over the rear axle in all models for four-wheel drive without the need for a second driveshaft.

Those output figures are healthy enough, but they’re lugging a car that’s between 130kg and 200kg heavier (depending on spec) than the pure combustion-engined variants. Despite an 11.4kWh battery crammed under the passenger compartment, Jeep claims there has been no loss of space, although the hardware under the boot floor robs 20 litres of outright capacity. 

Visually identical to the pure petrol and diesel models, save for a charging flap mirroring the fuel cap on the other side and a bit of badging. Unlike some PHEV variants, there are three trim levels on offer, from the base Longitude up to Trailhawk, which brings off-road tyres and plenty of rugged addenda.  

Inside, it’s also standard Renegade fare, aside from some subtly placed powertrain mode buttons and a new instrument cluster. Oddly, Jeep has elected to provide both an analogue rev counter and power use dial, but no analogue speedo, with the (admittedly clear and bright) central display the only source of that info.

Solidity and utilitarianism take priority over elegant design and posh materials inside, although the classic Jeep ‘easter eggs’ dotted about the place raise a smile and remind you that this is not an identikit faux SUV. 

Moving off in electric power, there’s the usual eerie augmented whirr to warn pedestrians of your presence. However, our test car sometimes drowned this out with a rather loud transformer-like buzz, which is apparently part of the cooling process.

It’s sprightly enough in EV mode, meaning it’s easy to avoid the engine firing up below the EV top speed of 81mph, at which point the engine is forced into play. And boy does it make itself known when that happens. The four-cylinder unit isn’t the quietest in this application and sounds and feels ever more strained the further you venture up the rev range. It’s fine once up to speed, but that’s mostly because wind noise from the Renegade’s brick-like aerodynamics takes centre stage. Frankly, in refinement terms, it’s off the pace out of town.