2019 Jeep Renegade Downsizes Displacement, Upgrades Power

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Jeep’s smallest model has a new uplevel engine for 2019, one that brings to mind the revered and diminutive Suzuki Samurai of the late 1980s. That model also housed a 1.3-liter engine, though the Suzuki’s mill boasted, in a manner of speaking, just 63 horsepower.

The Jeep Renegade’s new 1.3-liter four-cylinder isn’t likely to remind anyone of ’80s featherweight Japanese utes.

Turbocharged, direct injected, and equipped with standard electronic stop/start, the 1.3L found as standard equipment on the 2019 Renegade Limited and Trailhawk generates 177 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. Buyers of base Sport and mid-level Latitude models also have the option of outfitting their rig with this tiny engine.

As a replacement for the 1.4-liter MultiAir four-cylinder, the 1.3L unit is a global engine, with active grille shutters (not available on Trailhawk) adding further economy to the overall package. The only transmission available is a nine-speed automatic. For budget-minded buyers, the 2.4-liter Tigershark four-cylinder remains in place at the bottom rungs of the Renegade ladder.

We’ve described the subtle yet meaningful appearance changes coming for 2019 already, with a rejigged fascia, grille, and front and rear lighting adding a teaspoon of menace to a package that’s difficult to refresh. For the coming year, Renegade’s Advanced Tech Group includes adaptive cruise control, ParkSense Parallel/Perpendicular Park Assist Plus, and front park sensors. There’s also new colors on the paint palette and new wheel designs to select from. Jeep’s My Sky roof remains available, as does an 8.4-inch touchscreen.

The biggest news remains the new engine, which is second only to Ford’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder in the Tiniest American Engine Competition. Compared to the three-pot’s 123 hp and 125 lb-ft, however, the Jeep mill’s power figures won’t have buyers worried they’ll be left struggling on steep grades. Compared to the engine it replaces, the 1.3L boasts 17 extra horses and 16 additional lb-ft of twist.

Sadly, we can’t judge the efficiency of the engine at this point in time. The EPA has not yet handed down its MPG verdict for the 2019 Renegade.

[Images: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

More by Steph Willems

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 20 comments
  • Steve Biro Steve Biro on Oct 01, 2018

    Does this mean no manual transmission will be offered in the Renegade going forward?

  • Vehic1 Vehic1 on Oct 01, 2018

    Garrett: The 500X styling is cleaner than this neither fish-nor-fowl thing (an odd combination of box and strange, small curves). Perhaps this engine is a decent one, at least.

  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
  • FormerFF We bought three new and one used car last year, so we won't be visiting any showrooms this year unless a meteor hits one of them. Sorry to hear that Mini has terminated the manual transmission, a Mini could be a fun car to drive with a stick.It appears that 2025 is going to see a significant decrease in the number of models that can be had with a stick. The used car we bought is a Mk 7 GTI with a six speed manual, and my younger daughter and I are enjoying it quite a lot. We'll be hanging on to it for many years.
  • Oberkanone Where is the value here? Magna is assembling the vehicles. The IP is not novel. Just buy the IP at bankruptcy stage for next to nothing.
  • Jalop1991 what, no Turbo trim?
Next