Among all the technological offer of new cars, it is normal for one to get lost a bit. So on this occasion, whether you like the usual Jeeps or if you are looking for an SUV with an Eco label, don’t ‘give up’ on this: the first test of the Renegade E-Hybrid, a micro-hybrid SUV that moves between the future and the tradition, to save consumption and emissions, especially in urban areas.
The American brand of Stellantis is electrifying its entire range and now the e-hybrids are here. It is a technology that consists of a 130 hp 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine (with a new seven-speed automatic gearbox) and a smaller 15 kW engine -equivalent to 20 hp- which supports it thanks to a lithium-ion battery with 48 volts.
Within the catalog, they complement the 4xe variants, which are plug-in hybrids (Zero label) or PHEV and which consist of a thermal mechanics in front and an electric one in the rear, as a “new concept of total traction”. However, the e-Hybrid technology that this Jeep Renegade carries tries to reduce consumption and emissions in another way, without 4×4 traction, and is more designed for the city and surroundings.
And everything, without penalizing for it the benefits of the old gasoline. Moreover, it aims to improve them. As we have been able to verify in this contact, at the presentation of the new Jeep Renegade e-Hybrid, in Turin, the vehicle always starts silently in electric mode (EV), it moves like this to manoeuvre, park, unpark or travel for miles in a traffic jam…
Not to mention that it recovers energy when you release the accelerator or when braking and provides power peaks to the thermal engine with the electric one as soon as you step hard on your right foot or require more torque, for whatever reason, when overtaking, uphill. .. Provided, yes, that there is enough charge left in your battery .
You can see this in the chart, which is practically as complete as ever -some readings still seem small to me-, but now, together with the fuel level, you can also check -and in real time- how much battery charge you have, when does the EV mode come in… And this, as we will explain now, behind the wheel, is more important than it seems.
Aesthetically, I see that it is more handsome than usual. And although we have not come to this Italian city to talk much about the exterior look of this new Renegade eco, the truth is that yes, the range of colors suits it especially in some of its colors. Although of course, it is difficult not to feel a certain crush on the Matter Blue in two-tone bodywork.
By Jupiter, may the gods forgive me if at almost forty years of age I feel like a real ‘hybrid’ between the bad robots from the eighties movie ‘Short Circuit’ and that long-awaited Jeep Commando ‘made in Spain’ from my childhood! But I have a couple of justifications: to the affection I profess for that first Jeep of my neighbors, to the fact that the Renegade is already the only one that retains -with the permission of the Wrangler- the round ‘eyes’…
And well, the fact is that the daytime running lights framing the front headlights give it an irresistible touch of sophistication that I like even more than before -and this was one of my favorite models in the range since it came out, due to its contained shapes, weight , country qualities and fun-. But it is also that, as soon as I see the press kit, aha!, I understand many more things about its appeal.
This two-tone blue is new, as is the Upland interior finish, which has beautiful seats with blue touches and references to reuse, recycling and the journey towards a more sustainable planet, among the many nods or ‘easter eggs’ to 80 years of Jeep. And where exactly are the references that identify the new e-Hybrid of this Renegade?
Well, just like in the Jeep Compass, which is the other model that shares this MHEV heart from now on, you have to look at another more subtle detail, located in the rear: a small green e
with the word ‘torque’ below (which refers in English to the extra ‘torque’ of electrical origin that these cars boast of).
Now I settle on board with the same feeling of familiarity as always and press the button. Indeed, silence. I turn off the multimedia system -compatible since I was here 4 years ago testing the latest restyling of the Renegade with Car Play and Android Auto- to listen well to the engine and the rolling and engage the Direct in the speed selector.
With a three-quarter electric battery, I can unpark, maneuver and drive slowly up to about 35 km/h on the flat in fully electric mode. It is true that as soon as I exceed that or ask more punctually with the accelerator, the thermal engine is immediately activated. But it must be recognized that in both cases the smoothness is stupendous. And the noise, quite reduced.
The car remains rigid and fun, stable, but comfortable with a very adequate suspension (with poise, and at the same time comfortable for potholes, irregularities and country breaks). It has sturdier finishes than the superior models, but it is designed for everyday battles and without hurting too much to get off the asphalt when necessary.
Its 4×2 drive is the only one available, as we said, but when going through the areas with steep slopes that surround the city -where it is mandatory to carry winter wheels like the ones mounted on this test unit-, the vehicle is even light , agile… Even if you lose your foot at a standstill, it’s not uncommon for the front end to skid from the extra torque. And that’s great!
On downhills you can see perfectly how the 48 V battery recharges itself with inertia (it is missing being able to regulate this retention a little with something more than the gear selector in which all interaction is limited to B of the engine brake or sequential gearbox, but without paddles behind the steering wheel) and with the service brake.
But the best part is that, unlike other microhybrids/mild hybrids or Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles (MHEV) on the market, in both the new Jeep Renegade and the Jeep Compass e-Hybrid you can ‘force’ the aforementioned auxiliary battery to be fill up earlier by simply pressing the button to the left of the parking brake.
This is especially useful when you go on the motorway, for example, to reserve the charge for the city, although it is true that it should not be abused too much so as not to increase the cost of gasoline ‘just because’ on your intercity journeys. In fact, when you demand it in the mountains or on the highway, it is difficult to lower it from 7 l/100 km, but in the city, its technology shines for its silence, comfort and agility…
And with the extra push of its self-recharging battery whenever you consider it necessary. So, if you want a fun crossover, with an Eco label and now more economical, a very capable micro-hybrid that shines especially in the city and surroundings, and you don’t need an authentic 4×4, remember that you have a Jeep Renegade e-Hybrid from an interesting 31,100 euros.
Conclution
The best
Silence, comfort, that the battery can be recharged by button, spending in the city
Worst
No hold modes or cams. On the road it is much less economical.
