Upcoming Jeep Renegade SUV will be offered with a 1.6 liter petrol turbo engine delivering 180 hp – making it the most powerful compact SUV in India
Jeep was in the news recently, with reports indicating that the next-gen Compass won’t be available in India. In another recent update, Stellantis has confirmed during its investor day presentation that the new-generation Jeep Renegade is being developed. Launch is expected in 2027.
Citroen CMP-based Jeep SUV – What to expect?
According to Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, the upcoming new-gen Jeep Renegade will be based on a cost-competitive platform. While he did not name the CMP platform, he said that the platform will have a simple architecture and can be easily sourced all over the world. Such statements allude to Citroen’s CMP platform, although Stellantis has not made any official announcements in this regard.
Earlier, the new-gen Renegade was expected to be based on the STLA Small platform. But there’s strong evidence to suggest that the new Jeep SUV will be using the more cost-effective CMP platform. In Europe, the Citroen C3 has already switched over to the CMP platform.
Sharing the platform, key modules and components will benefit both Jeep and Citroen. It will help achieve favourable economies of scale, resulting in reduced cost of production. In case of the new-gen Renegade, the SUV could be launched at a starting price of Rs 15 lakh.
Renegade Electric 4×4 also under development
As the CMP platform does not support ICE 4×4, the new Renegade will have an electric 4×4. This will help achieve one of Jeep’s core objectives to have a 4×4 option with every model. Tweaks can be performed on the CMP platform, but it will be a costly reengineering project. Since the CMP platform already supports electric 4×4, it is the best route to introduce the 4×4 option with the new Renegade.
The E/E architecture can be upgraded to support critical ADAS features. These will be relevant for both Indian and international markets. With a common platform and components, the new Renegade Electric model can be launched at an affordable price point. Estimated starting price could be around $25,000 (approx. Rs 20.84 lakh).
New-gen Renegade ICE powertrain options
While sharing the same CMP platform, the powertrain options will be different for the new Renegade. The 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine in use with Citroen C3 and C3 Aircross won’t be suitable for a Jeep brand. Moreover, the Renegade will be longer at around 4.2 meters. At this length, it won’t qualify for any tax benefits even when using a sub-1.2-litre engine.
It is expected that next-gen Renegade will be using the more advanced EP6DT 1.6-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol engine. It belongs to the ‘Prince’ engine range, developed via a collaboration between PSA and BMW. Varied power outputs can be achieved with this engine. It is possible that 150 hp and 180 hp options could be introduced with the next-gen Jeep Renegade. The 180 hp version is already seen with the petrol C5 Aircross. Various other Stellantis models sold overseas use the 180 hp version.
New Jeep Renegade India launch
Jeep can introduce the next-gen Renegade in India in 2027. However, Stellantis has not made any formal announcements. The company said that it will continue to focus on the Indian market. India is the only country outside the USA where Jeep locally produces and assembles its SUVs.
