Renegade

Make
Jeep
Segment
SUV

Say what you will about the new Jeep Renegade, at least it's no Compass or Patriot. Instead of being based on the old Dodge Stratus, as the latter two are, the Renegade shares a platform with the just-released Fiat 500X. OK, at first that may not sound like much of an improvement, but Jeep promises the Renegade, at least in Trailhawk trim, will offer class-leading off-road capabilities. Then again, it's a subcompact crossover whose main competitors are the Nissan Juke and Kia Soul.

People don't buy either for off-road adventures, so why would they suddenly start now with the Renegade? It's a fair question. But at the end of the day the Renegade needs to honor its brand name heritage. Can it do so both on and off-road? Auto Express gets behind the wheel to find out.