The Next Jeep Renegade: Filling the Gap Between Avenger and Compass

Few new Jeeps have made an impact quite like the Avenger. Blending the footprint of a supermini with the raised driving position and rugged styling buyers increasingly want, it has become one of Europe's most successful compact SUVs. Its popularity has been so strong that Jeep is already preparing an early facelift just a few years after launch.

At the same time, production of the long-serving Renegade has come to an end, leaving a noticeable gap in the brand's global line-up.

In this Design Studio feature, we imagine the next-generation Renegade: a new global model positioned between the Avenger and the recently launched Compass in Europe, while serving as Jeep's entry-level SUV beneath the Cherokee in North America and other international markets.

One of the few criticisms levelled at the Avenger is its modest 380-litre boot. That is one litre smaller than the load space offered by a Volkswagen Golf, hardly a headline figure for a compact SUV.

This is where a larger, more family-focused Renegade could make real sense, offering greater rear-seat space and luggage capacity without becoming unnecessarily bulky. Above it sits the new Compass, but its substantially larger footprint places it right on the boundary between compact and mid-sized SUV territory.

The gap is even clearer in North America, where the Cherokee is currently the smallest Jeep available. A global Renegade could therefore fill an important space on both sides of the Atlantic.

While the outgoing Renegade was underpinned by Fiat’s ageing Small Wide platform, its successor would almost certainly move onto one of Stellantis’ newer STLA architectures.

That shift would not automatically guarantee the return of a plug-in hybrid Renegade, but it should support a much broader and more modern powertrain range. In Europe, three-cylinder mild-hybrid engines and fully electric options would likely form the core of the line-up.

Outside Europe, the latest generation of Stellantis' turbocharged 1.6-litre hybrid powertrain - now entering production in North America - could become the preferred choice for markets where buyers expect greater performance and towing capability.

The three-cylinder mild-hybrid is likely to sit at the heart of European Renegade sales. It already works well in both the Avenger and Compass, offering the blend of strong economy, acceptable performance and everyday usability most family-SUV buyers expect.

In the Renegade, it should provide enough pace without pushing running costs too high, while keeping the entry price below the electric versions. For many buyers, that familiar and proven powertrain would make the most convincing all-round choice in the range.

Our rear design study highlights what could make the next Renegade such an important addition to Jeep's growing SUV family. Sitting neatly between the Avenger and Compass, it would combine the rugged styling and everyday efficiency of the smaller model with the added practicality and family-friendly space expected from a larger SUV, all without becoming unnecessarily bulky.

That balanced approach could make the Renegade the sweet spot of Jeep's SUV range, offering generous luggage capacity, comfortable rear accommodation and the reassuringly robust character buyers expect from the brand.

Compact enough for Europe's cities, practical enough for growing families and capable enough to appeal to buyers across the globe, it could become the missing piece in Jeep's rapidly expanding SUV line-up.

(Image Credits: The New Yardstick Design Studio)