2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo on 2040-cars

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2019 Jeep Renegade Limited and Trailhawk revealed with updated styling

A few weeks back, we got our first glimpse of the refreshed 2019 Jeep Renegade. The Italian-built compact crossover is currently the smallest model in Jeep's lineup. Details were scarce, but we now have some new info on the European-spec model as well as a whole batch of photos of both the Renegade Limited and Renegade Trailhawk. Visually, both the Limited and Trailhawk models get revised front fascias with dark LED and Xenon lighting that mimics the new Jeep Wrangler JL. The Limited's bumper includes more body-color panels with new turn signals, fog lights and a lower air intake. Outside of the new lighting, the only real change to the front of the Trailhawk is the lack of a bright red front tow hook. In the rear, both models get new taillights, though the bumpers appear to be the same. The Renegade Limited now comes with 19-inch wheels. The Renegade now has new gasoline and diesel engines, though it's unclear which — if any — will make it to the U.S. market. There's a 1.0-liter turbo inline-three that makes 120 horsepower, a 1.3-liter turbo inline-four that makes either 150 or 180 horsepower. That makes it as powerful as the 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated inline-four that's currently available. The 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter turbo diesel engines — not available in the U.S. — both get updated European emissions equipment. There are three transmissions: a six-speed manual, a six-speed dry dual-clutch and a nine-speed auto. The Renegade is still available with both front- and four-wheel drive. There are two four-wheel drive systems, with one slightly more sophisticated system reserved for the Trailhawk. Other carryovers include the removable My Sky roof panels and most of the interior. The Renegade also gets the latest version of FCA's UConnect infotainment system that is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Pricing hasn't been announced, but look for U.S.-specific details sometime later this summer. Related Video:

VW brings back the bus, and Jeep might be on the block | Autoblog Podcast #524

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. We discuss the week's news including the introduction of the VW T-Roc, the confirmed production of the VW I.D. Buzz and the Hyundai Santa Cruz truck. We also cover the cars we've been driving, talk about whether the Woodward Dream Cruise is better than the Pebble Beach Concours, and we try to spend your money. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast@autoblog.com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #524Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Topics and stories we mention Rundown Volkswagen T-Roc reveal Volkswagen I.D. Buzz confirmed for production Chinese automaker interested in FCA and Jeep Ferrari celebrates 70th anniversary at Pebble Beach Hyundai Santa Cruz confirmed for production What we're driving Unpopular opinion Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes

Jeep dealers worried Grand Wagoneer could be too much, too late

On January 10, 2011, an Automotive News article quoted Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne saying, "It's time we gave the market an upper-scale Grand Wagoneer." Like Babe Ruth pointing a finger at the far stands, Marchionne next predicted our date with historical destiny: "You'll see it in January 2013." Had that happened, the Grand Wagoneer would been a grand slam. Seven years later, with various economic factors in flux and still with no Grand Wagoneer in sight, it seems some Fiat Chrysler dealers are worried the luxury three-row Jeep could appear after the SUV game is over or, at the very least, much harder to play. What got in the way of the Grand Wagoneer? Shifting plans for and the need to pour money into Alfa Romeo. The debate about what kind of vehicle the Wagoneer should be — a unibody Range Rover rival, or a body-on-frame Chevrolet Suburban foe. After that, what should the thing look like? And then there's Fiat Chrysler's North American manufacturing capacity, which can't shoehorn space for Grand Wagoneer production at the same time as it needs lines running for two Ram 1500 model years. That last point is what could push Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer arrival to 2021. Outside the company, at least one Bank of America Merill Lynch analyst believes that economic forces such as a shrinking car market, more competition, higher interest rates on more expensive cars, lower used car prices, and higher gas prices will soon bring an end to the "Goldilocks" phase of crossover mania. He isn't alone, with an IHS analyst saying the same thing three years ago, another IHS analyst diving deeper into the declining numbers two years ago, and three other analysts breaking down depressed used car prices. Fuel prices are anyone's guess, but those other pressures could squeeze retailers trying to sell high-end metal. No one expects the Grand Wagoneer to fail, yet dealers don't expect the vehicle to practically sell itself. One dealer told AN, "We could have killed with [the Grand Wagoneer] if it had been available when they first told us about it, but it's a much tougher sell with interest rates and gas prices going up." Another dealer, perhaps more sanguine, said, "The Grand Wagoneer will still sell because it's a Jeep. But it would have been nice to have them already." "Nice" is an understatement. One dealership was so excited about getting the new big Jeep that it wrote a blog post in 2015 announcing the Grand Wagoneer's arrival in 2018.