New Jeep Renegade to target Dacia Duster with cheap 'n' tough design

Jeep will introduce a brand-new Renegade by the end of 2027, joining the range with a combination of impressive interior space, rugged looks and a very attractive price point. Aimed at value-focused SUVs such as the Dacia Duster and Vauxhall Frontera, Jeep is banking on this returning model to be a key part of its European success story. 

Previously confirmed by the former Jeep CEO and current president of the whole group, Antoni Filosa, a new Renegade will arrive in 2027 and should cost from around £28,000. It will sit between the traditional B and C-segments, offering nearly as much interior space as cars from the upper of those two classes. This will mean it will also sit neatly below the larger Compass in terms of price, if not outright space – similar in concept to the positioning of Vauxhall’s Grandland and the more affordable Frontera. 

We sat down with Jeep’s head of product planning in Europe, Marco Montepeloso, for an exclusive interview to find out more about this new Renegade and how it’ll sit within the range.

Montepeloso hinted that the next-generation Renegade will be roughly the same size as the previous model: “Personally, I really think there is space in the market between the Avenger and the new Compass, so we think that there is an opportunity.”

For context, the Avenger measures 4.08 metres long, while the new Compass is 4.55 metres tip to tail. If the new Renegade does bridge the gap between the two, it will measure about 4.3 metres – about the same as the latest Duster, which you can lease from just £230 per month through our Buy A Car service. The new Vauxhall Frontera and even the MINI Countryman are about the same size, too. 

When asked if this could cause the Renegade to cannibalise its baby brother’s sales, or vice versa, Montepeloso quickly fired back: “This is not something new. We have sold Avenger and Renegade together over the last three years, and the great performance of Avenger has been with the Renegade there side-by-side.

“Looking at the customer analysis, there is a clear difference between a four-metre-long car that is mainly addressing the needs of compactness of some of our European customers, and a bigger 4.25 to 4.3-metre-long vehicle that addresses more the needs of young family that maybe start having some kids or have a very active lifestyle. These are the sort of people who need to bring more stuff, so they need more space in the second row, more boot space,” he said.

How Jeep will compete with Dacia in terms of value

The key to Jeep being able to profitably sell a low-cost model like the new Renegade is its platform, in this case borrowing the Smart Car architecture that’s currently in use by Fiat, Citroen and Vauxhall. This also means the newcomer will be perfectly suited to European requirements, both in terms of regulations, but also powertrain choice, which will include hybrid and full-electric powertrains. 

Montepeloso also emphasised the importance of Jeep’s new philosophy of “Freedom of Choice”. Like many other brands, Jeep wants to offer customers a wide selection of powertrains, so they can choose the one that suits them best.

“It's absolutely a pillar of our strategy in Europe,” the product boss told us. “If you want to be relevant in all markets, you need to have a wide offering of powertrains to adapt to the different needs of the market.

“We need to stick with this philosophy,” he continued, “We need to give our customers this freedom, it’s key for sales. And I also think we need to stay flexible at this stage towards any potential evolution of the regulations in Europe.”

The Smart Car platform has its limitations, but Stellantis has been working on giving this relatively simple set of underpinnings some extra variability. Expect a new or improved battery pack of somewhere around 55kWh for the electric variant, plus the option of hybrid models fitted with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. 

No current vehicle on the Smart Car architecture features all-wheel drive, but Jeep has insisted that every one of its individual models must include this feature. We therefore expect that work is under way to accommodate a new system, probably using an electrified rear axle, as we’ve seen on Jeep 4xe models such as the Avenger. 

The reborn Renegade will still trade on Jeep’s rugged character, with the kind of boxy, upright styling you can see in our exclusive image. Like the current model, the new Renegade won’t be designed to go rock crawling through Utah’s Moab desert, but a level off-road ability will remain a priority. 

Short overhangs and a long wheelbase not only help to maximise interior space, but also unlock better approach and departure angles for tackling rugged terrain. Similarly, higher-than-average ground clearance will help deliver a lofty driving position and benefit  the car’s wading depth and its ability to tackle any obstacles.

With the need to hit a low price point, cabin plastics and quality will be more biased towards rugged and durable, rather than plush. However, it’ll still need to appeal to users in a showroom, so we expect to see modern digital interfaces and plenty of clever design elements that speak to Jeep’s iconic past. 

This focus on affordability will also affect which rivals it’ll need to compete against. In this case it will include some from within the Stellantis family such as the Vauxhall Frontera and Citroen C3 Aircross, but it’ll also be up against the growing swathes of Chinese SUVs including the hugely popular Jaecoo 7, plus its Omoda 5 cousin, the BYD Seal U and Geely EX2. 

Can't wait for the new Renegade? You can buy the current Jeep Renegade for just over £27,000 through our Buy a Car service.