New Jeep Renegade: SUV to return by 2030 to take on the Dacia Duster

The Jeep Renegade will return within the next three years to duke it out with the Dacia Duster and Jaecoo 7. It’s one of four new models the legendary 4x4 and SUV maker is planning to launch between now and the end of the decade. 

While the original Renegade on sale from 2014 to 2025 did not have the level of cultural impact as the Jeep Wrangler, or prove an instant smash hit like the Jeep Avenger, more than 600,000 were sold in Europe alone, making it one of the US firm’s first big successes on this side of the pond. 

That’s why newly appointed European boss Xavier Peugeot considers the Renegade one of Jeep’s icons – something the brand will focus more on as part of its latest product strategy to help it fight back against competition from China, he told Auto Express in an exclusive interview. 

“I believe that we are facing a huge battle,” Peugeot told Auto Express. “But I love a battle and we just have to go for it. We’ve got exceptional territory, DNA and legacy with strong brands like Jeep. For me, it’s an honour and a huge responsibility to ensure a long life for this brand, to protect it and to build towards the next step, as we expect to do.”

The hope is that the second-generation Renegade will “bring Jeep to a broader audience”. It will sit between the traditional B and C-segments of the SUV market, but promises to offer nearly as much interior space as models from the larger of those two classes. This will mean it will also sit neatly below the larger Jeep Compass in terms of price, if not outright space – similar in concept to the positioning of Vauxhall’s Grandland and the more affordable Frontera. 

The other new Jeeps coming soon are the all-electric Recon 4x4, which arrives in Europe next year but won’t be offered in the UK, plus a new large SUV being developed in collaboration with Chinese firm Dongfeng. After that, Jeep will launch the next-generation Renegade and another small, B-segment SUV, which will also sit above the best-selling Avenger. 

These are all part of Jeep’s ‘off-road to 2030’ plan, but the brand is already looking beyond that, teasing the return of the battle-tested Jeep Willys as an additional small SUV that could be Europe’s answer to the Suzuki Jimny. 

What will the new Jeep Renegade look like?

Despite plans for a second-generation Jeep Renegade being announced back in 2024, we’ve still yet to see any prototypes out and about testing. However, Jeep did show us a new teaser at the Paris Motor Show, and our exclusive image gives you an idea of what it might look like.

The reborn Renegade will still trade on Jeep’s rugged character, with boxy, upright styling. As with its predecessor, the new model won’t be designed to go rock crawling through Utah’s Moab desert, but a level of off-road ability will remain a priority. Of course, all the brand’s signature design elements will be present too, such as the iconic seven-slot grille. 

But while the new evolution will share certain cues with the old Renegade and other members of the Jeep family, it’ll still have a unique look and personality. Jeep’s head of design for Europe, Daniele Calonaci, explained to Auto Express: “In general, Jeep never had the sort of copycat front end on every model. The goal is to give the right soul to the different models.”

He also told us how the new Renegade is being designed around the potential customer base of young families, and in response to customer feedback of the previous model. “I think it’s really interesting to start from the possible customer and to design around the customer, and also the look of the vehicle,” he explained.

“The Avenger is the vehicle for single people or young couples with no kids, for instance, or maybe older people that want to have something compact, so it’s something more jolly for us.” 

Calonaci continued: “We know what was, let me say, the negative points of the previous Renegade. So we are working to fix them. And for sure, you can understand that we are working on CO2. 

“The previous Renegade was really tall and probably could have used less space up front for the head of the driver.  So actually, we are working to have an efficient vehicle for the future, but with all four pillars of Jeep [capability, protection, versatility and storage].”

While efficiency is a priority, Calonaci admitted the new Renegade will still be boxy to deliver as much space inside as possible. Short overhangs and a relatively long wheelbase will help with that too, while also unlocking better approach and departure angles for tackling rugged terrain. Similarly, higher-than-average ground clearance will mean a lofty driving position and boost the car’s wading depth and its ability to tackle any obstacles.

With the need to make the new Renegade accessible to a wider audience, the materials used in the cabin will prioritise ruggedness and durability, rather than plushness. 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.

How big and practical is it going to be?

Jeep’s head of product planning in Europe, Marco Montepeloso, had hinted to us 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 Dacia 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 a 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.

Is it going to be another electric SUV?

Brand boss Peugeot hinted to us that he sees a market for the new Renegade in various regions, not just Europe. That’s why we suspect it will sit on parent company Stellantis’ new STLA One platform: a global, modular, highly scalable architecture that’s being rolled out next year, and can accommodate simple combustion, efficient hybrid and pure-electric powertrains.

Montepeloso emphasised the importance of Jeep’s philosophy of ‘Freedom of Choice’ when it comes to new products. 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.”

Critically, the new Jeep Renegade will be available with four-wheel drive, as will all the other new models being launched, Peugeot promised us, as a key part of the brand’s DNA. 

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.