A Different Kind Of Jeep
Drive Out|June 2017

It’s a first for Jeep and something that will make the purists choke. But how does the Renegade actually perform? JACO KIRSTEN tries to answer the question.

A Different Kind Of Jeep

Imagine yourself sitting in Italy for the launch of a Jeep. It doesn’t make much sense, right? You should rather experience this in America. Maybe in Moab, Utah. Or on the Rubicon Trail in the Sierra Nevada mountains. But the Renegade isn’t your average Jeep – it’s the result of a joint project between Fiat and Jeep. Now, before you choke on your muesli or pork crackling, you need a short history lesson. When Chrysler, Jeep’s owner, threw in the towel in 2009 when the world economy took a nosedive, Fiat, a pension fund, and the American and Canadian governments bought the company together. As the new company’s financial situation improved, Fiat continued buying out the other shareholders until it gained full ownership in 2014 and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, or FCA, was established.

Right, so that’s the background. One of FCA’s main goals of their 2014–2018 business plan is a certain growth in sales – sales where especially the Jeep name has to help. And that explains why they already started planning a compact 4x4, aimed at city slickers, a few years ago. If you quickly had to think of a competitor it would probably be something like the Mini Countryman or maybe even a Mazda CX-3. But hey, they’re not Jeeps.

Under the surface 

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2017 من Drive Out.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2017 من Drive Out.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من DRIVE OUT مشاهدة الكل
The pinch of the pump
Go! Drive & Camp

The pinch of the pump

In a time where every penny counts, you should be cautious about where to spend it, says Neels van Heerden.

time-read
2 mins  |
October/November 2023
Is the Jimny suitable for overlanding?
Go! Drive & Camp

Is the Jimny suitable for overlanding?

He has a theory on whether the Suzuki Jimny is suitable for overlanding, but he is also about to find out for himself, says Mic van Zyl.

time-read
3 mins  |
October/November 2023
Klein-Kariba chronicles
Go! Drive & Camp

Klein-Kariba chronicles

His family has camped so often at ATKV Klein-Kariba that they now consider this popular resort their holiday home, says Roelof van Eeden of Witbank.

time-read
2 mins  |
October/November 2023
So ugly it's cute
Go! Drive & Camp

So ugly it's cute

Longing for the good old days when vehicles took inspiration from aircraft? Citroën has the compact mobile home just for you.

time-read
2 mins  |
October/November 2023
WHO'S THE BAKKIE KING?
Go! Drive & Camp

WHO'S THE BAKKIE KING?

Eight brands, seven categories... and one overall winner. We find out which double-cab bakkie performs best when towing a caravan and off-roading.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October/November 2023
Viva, Amarokoroko!
Go! Drive & Camp

Viva, Amarokoroko!

We take a spin through the Western Cape's Cederberg to See if the Ford-built Volkswagen Amarok retains its poshness.

time-read
3 mins  |
October/November 2023
Hook, line and tune
Go! Drive & Camp

Hook, line and tune

That exhilarating rush you feel when something tugs at your hook and races away with your line is what perpetually draws him back to the angler's paradise, says singer Bok van Blerk.

time-read
2 mins  |
October/November 2023
Discover Dinokeng: beyond the Big Five
Go! Drive & Camp

Discover Dinokeng: beyond the Big Five

The Dinokeng Big Five Reserve is a favourite for weekend getaways, but just past its borders lies an untapped haven waiting to be explored.

time-read
5 mins  |
October/November 2023
Life's a farm in Bonnievale!
Go! Drive & Camp

Life's a farm in Bonnievale!

Bonnievale presents a unique setting where kids, camping and church come together for a unique family holiday.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October/November 2023
Into the heart of the Cederberg
Go! Drive & Camp

Into the heart of the Cederberg

From Duiwelsgat to Heuningvlei, from Wupperthal to the Biedouw Valley. Drive through a world where poet Boerneef's mountain goose sheds a feather and author Jan Rabie's dreamland begins.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October/November 2023