The Jeep Renegade is one cool cat, and most of the world is still not over it. Introduced in 2014, worldwide Renegade sales have crossed the half-million mark, with more than 440,000 sold in the US alone.
It's small and cute and comes with all the trail ratings of the bigger and badder Jeeps. Plus the roof can also be removed for further driving fun. It comes loaded with personality and enough off-roading capabilities to make it a serious contender in the world of the Jeepers, and the only drawback perhaps is the less than stellar engine that has power but lacks spunk.
But the Renegade will do okay in its time, especially when it's poised to enter more international markets where the Compass, one of the least-favorite Jeeps of the US is also doing well. Since we are talking all things cute and Renegade, why not divulge a few cool Easter eggs about it too?
10 When In Italy Its “Ciao, Baby”
When you open the fuel-filler door, you get greeted by an arachnid. And thankfully, it's not a real one, but simply a spunky little etching that greets you in Italian, because the Renegade, for all its American heritage, is made in Italy, co-produced along with the Fiat 500X. Considering Jeep is part of FCA Chrysler, no surprise there. So when in Italy, you may not do how the Italians do, but they will still leave a little spider in their builds for you to remember them by. So, ciao!
9 The Map Of Moab, In Case, The GPS Kerplunks
Jeep and the Moab trails of Utah have had a long and intertwined history with each other, and the Renegade celebrates this unofficial partnership as well in a sweet if unneeded way. The next time you are inside a Trailhawk-rated Jeep Renegade and are rummaging for loose change in the cubby, pause on the bumps and ridges on it. Why? Because it’s the map of Moab and all its fun trails to explore if you happen to be in Utah, in the Renegade. Not that the GPS would go bad, it's just one way of the Renegade celebrating its legacy.
8 An Ode To WWII Willys
If you look carefully at the headlamps, preferably when they are off to prevent blinding yourself, you will notice that there’s an old-school Jeep grille in the center. And we mean those iconic seven slats that off-roaders the world over still try to incorporate on the sly to make their vehicles more appealing and more Jeep-like. The tail lamps also have an X marked on the reflectors, this is a nod to the markings of the gas cans on the WWII Jeeps.
7 More Gas Can Xs On The Roof
Any of the roofs that are a little less ordinary in the Renegade, as in the power sliding sunroofs, detachable panels, etc, will have a huge X-marking the spot. Think of it as a huge landing spot, only nothing can land on it, and nothing should. Why the X? It’s the same marking on the gas cans of the WWII Jeeps that the Americans and their allies won the war with, and it such as inimitable part of Jeep’s legacy that nearly all of Jeep’s vehicles carry it forward.
6 That Bright Orange Paintball-Splatter Redline
Compared to the redline markings on the Jeep Renegade, other cars fade away into placid staidness. The Jeep Renegade’s design team seems inordinately fond of paintball. And so, to further delve into their passion and perhaps fuel a little of what they love into Renegade owners, the redline markings on the Renegade are a paintball splotch, and bright orange rather than the traditional red we see mostly everywhere. The Renegade redlines at over 6500 RPM, and if the orange splatter is making you itch to play, the design team has done its bit.
5 Original Jeep On The Floor Mats
Most of us don’t pay much attention to the floor mats, do we? But if you get a chance to get into a Renegade, do look what lies under your feet, because it’s a fun thing to do. The all-weather rubber floor mats in the Jeep Renegade carry forward the Jeep’s legacy yet again, and there plenty of Jeep sightings where the sun doesn’t shine in the Renegade. The mats not only spell Jeep but also have a Jeep outline on them, and it's fine if the mats get scuffed and dirty. That’s what Jeeps are for.
4 Go On A Treasure Hunt: With Grilles
There are grilles galore in the Renegade, so much so that everywhere you look, you may encounter one. In case you have missed a few, let’s give you a few pointers. The rearview-mirror housing has a Jeep grille there is one on each side. The Willys Jeep may not have imagined his legacy and imprint to continue well into the future, and in case the surfeit of grilles make you look heavenwards, there’s a one on the roof’s underside. Probably to say that this may be a Renegade, but it's still a Jeep.
3 Jeep Logos Under The Seat Fabric
Leather-seat Renegades, please excuse, for on cloth-trimmed models, black Jeep logos shall be resting under your backside, because they are part of the fabric mesh in a subtle if the delicate design. It's being part of the Jeepers club, and even though the Renegade may be small and not as capable as the Wrangler or even the Gladiator, especially in the Rubicon or Mojave trims, it is still a Jeep with plenty of off-roading capability. Or so Jeep tries to convince all buyers with a surfeit of easter eggs.
2 The Father Of All Jeep Models Makes A Presence
The original Jeep, the Willys MB, makes another small if cute presence within the Renegade. And it’s in a place that’s not very visible, so may take a new Renegade owner a while to find. On the passenger side of the windshield, there’s a small silhouette of the Willys MB, the same Jeep that won America its war. It may not matter to us so much, but in case a WWII war veteran ever hitches a ride with you, that little Jeep on the windshield may bring back some memories and lots of stories.
1 "To New Adventures!"
Finally, you may not have had enough to put down for the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk trim, and that’s fine. You are still the proud owner of a Jeep Renegade, and even without the Trailhawk rating, this little Jeep is a capable car and can take on bad roads with ease. And not all adventures are made on trail-rated roads. Many can be had on normal roads as well, which is why just below the start button of your Renegade, you have the motto: “to new adventures”. Drive on!