Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, SUVs, Green, Jeep
Detroit 2008 Preview: Jeep Renegade Concept
by John Neff on Nov 20th 2007 at 2:31PM 
click above image for more views of the Jeep Renegade Concept
The final concept of Chrysler's trio for the 2008 Detroit Auto Show is the Jeep Renegade Concept. We actually find this one the most interesting, both in terms of design and feasibility. The Renegade features all-aluminum construction to keep its weight down, as well as what appears to be a parallel hybrid drivetrain consisting of the same 40-mile lithium-ion battery pack used in the Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept sharing duties with a small-displacement BLUETEC diesel engine. Jeep claims the Renegade would be good for more than 110 miles per gallon, which we think is probably accurate. Hopefully we'll begin seeing fuel economy numbers like that when lithium-ion battery packs become more prevalent, as well as diesel engines for that matter.
The Renegade's design is typical Jeep, focusing on adventure in all weather conditions. The speedster windshield and roll bar add some sportiness to the aesthetics, while the lower-door openings and hosable interior show it's a true Jeep with a trail-busting attitude. The lack of any front overhang and the vertical headlights give the front end an aerodynamic yet rugged look that we think works well Jeep's trademark seven-slot grille.
That's the last of Chrysler's concept trio that we were given a sneak peak of today, though all will be present and accounted for in January at the Detroit Auto Show. We're not sure yet what the company plans to show in terms of production cars, redesigns and refreshes, but when we find out you'll be the first to know.
[Source: Jeep]
Gallery: Jeep Renegade Concept
PRESS RELEASE:
2008 Jeep® Renegade Concept
The 2008 Jeep Renegade Concept is a sporty B-segment-sized two-seater ideally suited for the all-weather delights of off-roading and dune surfing. Featuring a cut-down speedster windshield, a roll bar, openings in the door lowers and a hose-out interior, it is an "eco-friendly" vehicle with minimized use of materials – designed for those who want to enjoy the earth while taking care of its future. The propulsion system combines a 40-mile lithium-ion battery pack and a small-displacement BLUETEC diesel engine. The result: fuel economy of more than 110 miles per gallon.
Specifications
Length: 153 inches (3885 mm)
Width at H-point: 62.9 inches (1598 mm)
Height: 56.3 inches (1431 mm)
Wheelbase: 101.6 inches (2580 mm)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
John R 2:37PM (11/20/2007)
Master Chief, you've arrived.
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nissanfreak87 2:52PM (11/20/2007)
holy crap you're right, it is a warthog, just throw a .50-cal on there and the covenant will be running in fear.
Miguel 2:57PM (11/20/2007)
Indeed; this looks eerily close to the Warthog of Halo fame, but I think it's more an update to the Renegade concept from 2005 into something leaner, if not meaner. To its credit, however, it drops the Warthog's ridiculous suspension (can you say "top heavy?") and gives it an edgier look, very key for "civilian" consumers. However, it seems to be quite compact, more ideally suited dune buggy type vehicle to compete with Kawasaki and Honda than a good street or true trail ute.
Jeep has had a few nice concepts recently, including the TrailHawk, which screams to be made into the next-gen Cherokee. This Renegade could be the Wrangler's nasty little brother.
Ian 4:15AM (11/21/2007)
I think it's a puma...
riggs 11:47AM (11/21/2007)
Ian ftw! RvB roolz.
Willem B 2:39PM (11/20/2007)
wow...
i can't believe i'm saying this...
i like 3 chrysler vehicles now!
(too bad they're all still concepts)
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Ric Kaysen 2:46PM (11/20/2007)
Just another one of Jeeps version of vapor ware. I can't recall how many really cool Jeep concepts I saw at car shows over the years...cars I would have bought in a heartbeat...only to find that they'll never see the light of day. Maybe next years model (that looks like last years model) will come out with a piece of bumper trim "disrectly from the concept vehicle!!!"
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narcszm 2:55PM (11/20/2007)
Y'all are correct. Some designers have been playing a little too much Halo.
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Pete 2:57PM (11/20/2007)
Jeep was around a LONG time before Halo.
rv2 3:01PM (11/20/2007)
Halo was around a long time before this design...
iQuack 2:59PM (11/20/2007)
Time for Cerberus/Chrysler to cut this kind of silly crap and redo the volume cars they need for success.
A competitve Chrysler Sebring would be a good start, not wasting time with a swoopy, impossible to mass produce Jeep go-cart. They're just peeing away money with silly concepts that mean absolutely nothing.
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FThorn 3:01PM (11/20/2007)
That looks like pure crap.
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a_wolfn 3:32PM (11/20/2007)
If the Halo movie makes it to production, I can bet that this will be the Warthog featured in the movie.
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Pete 4:02PM (11/20/2007)
Been there done that...
http://www.offroaders.com/tech/jeep/images/jeep_jeepster_concept.jpg
naggs 4:01PM (11/20/2007)
why do we keep seeing these sport-offroad concepts?
they never make it to production, the entire class of vehicle makes no sense and is of no relevance to anything.
why do they keep making them?
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akatsuki 4:13PM (11/20/2007)
Cause what I really want is Jeep to piss away more of its heritage and produce cute-utes and poseur vehicles.
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Guenther 5:31PM (11/20/2007)
Concepts are there primarily to gage public perceptions to new ideas- thus, my perception:
I don't like this direction one bit. Not for Jeep, anyhow.
Curious- of those who posted positively, who plays halo regularly?
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Alex Nunez 6:33PM (11/20/2007)
Wait a minute..when did Tamiya take over the Jeep division? :)
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John Miller 8:12PM (11/20/2007)
Actually my first thought was of Gorillaz, not Halo. But yeah, I can see it.
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Mark Tisch, Salt Lake City 8:36PM (11/20/2007)
I've learned not to get excited about concepts. Almost none make it to production looking like the concept (FJ Cruiser is the lone exception I have seen). Not that this looks like anything we could realistically expect, but I wouldn't get my hopes up for anything remotely close to this. Although I would love for Chrysler to prove me wrong.
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