what is that blue car up there?
Can the Jeep Renegade actually handle off-roading?
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I think that a lot of people have been wondering just how off-road capable the Jeep Renegade will end up being. It won't be the most capable ever, but it should be able to do enough to live up to its Jeep name. Here's what Jeep's chief engineer had to say about the Renegade's capabilities.
Jeep aims to make all their vehicles the most capable in their respective segment. For the Jeep Renegade that is the B and C segments. Indeed, the Renegade is more capable than its B and C segment rivals, like the Kia Soul, Toyota RAV4, and Nissan Juke. Let me help quantify that for you a bit more.
The Jeep Wrangler has a trail rating of 10. The Grand Cherokee has a trail rating of 8, the Cherokee has a 6, and the Renegade has a 4. The Renegade's competitors, according to Jeep's chief engineer, would all have trail ratings that are less. The Juke would get a 2 or less. The Hyundai Tucson, a 1.5, and the Ford Escape might be able to eek out a 3.
What do these numbers mean for real life experience though? Well the Renegade should be able to get you through mud, snow or sand with relative ease. At MOAB, the Renegade would be able to take on the Fins and Things trail, but maybe not the more difficult ****'s Revenge. The Renegade should also be able to swim through up to 19-inches of water, which is standard for all Jeop models.
So the Jeep Renegade may not be able to take on the most difficult off-road trails, but it will be able to take on some of the easier ones. It also is going to be able to get you around in the snow, sand, or mud. It's not a hardcore off-roader; I'd call it more of a casual off-roader.
