2019 Jeep Renegade Is Just as Cute as Before but Also Just as Slow (2024)

The Renegade is the tiniest Jeep, and it now has an even tinier engine for 2019. As part of a mid-cycle update for this wee SUV, Jeep replaced the subcompact Renegade’s base engine, an already small-displacement turbocharged 1.4-liter inline-four, with a new turbocharged 1.3-liter four measuring 36 fewer cubic centimeters. In a bold move by Jeep, this little engine that could is now the optional engine in the Renegade lineup, costing extra over the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter inline-four that previously served as the upgrade motor and is now standard on lower-trim Renegades.

Despite its size shortcomings, the new 1.3-liter engine’s power numbers speak for themselves. It provides 177 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque, a gain of 17 hp and 16 lb-ft over the old 1.4-liter and a significant 25 lb-ft of torque more than the 2.4-liter.

But after testing an all-wheel-drive 1.3-liter Renegade, we’re wondering where all that extra grunt is hiding. With a zero-to-60-mph time of 9.0 seconds, it’s 0.2 second slower than a similarly equipped 2015 Renegade Limited 4x4 powered by the 2.4-liter engine and 0.3 second slower than a 2015 Renegade with the less-powerful 1.4-liter engine. (Admittedly, the 1.4L Renegade was previously only offered with a manual transmission, while the new model has only a nine-speed automatic regardless of engine.)

At lower speeds, the 1.3-liter turbo engine does feel more energetic than we remember in previous Renegades, making for zippier performance around town. But it takes a beat to get spooled up, and it runs out of steam at higher speeds. Plus, the transmission’s reluctance to downshift makes highway merging and passing somewhat of a chore. The less-than-pleasant engine noise when you put your foot in it doesn’t help, either.

The 1.3-liter engine isn’t quite as thrifty as we hoped, either. Although it features efficiency-minded tech such as engine stop-start and active grille shutters, EPA estimates for this new engine are slightly lower than those for the previous 1.4-liter turbo and only around 2 mpg more efficient than the 2.4-liter four. In our hands, the 1.3L Renegade achieved 24 mpg overall and 29 mpg in our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, matching its EPA highway figure. But a 1.4-liter Renegade did even better, achieving 30 mpg in our highway test.

Our all-wheel-drive Renegade Limited test car was about as fully loaded as a Renegade can be, and its $34,860 as-tested price—that's $8345 more than the cheapest way to get an all-wheel-drive Renegade with the new 1.3T engine—gave us sticker shock. Yes, extras such as the 19-inch wheels, panoramic sunroof, and bigger touchscreen with navigation are nice to have, but they neither cover up the Renegade’s cheap-feeling cabin materials nor make up for its diminutive size compared to many larger SUVs that also reside within the mid-$30K price bracket. And this criticism isn't limited to the Renegade's upper trim levels; the cheapest model is $23,520, which is many thousands more than where the competition starts.

We can’t deny that there’s an inherent appeal to the Renegade’s successfully scaled-down Jeep aesthetic. But this small-SUV package would make a lot more sense if the number on the window sticker was commensurately smaller, too.