The 2015 Jeep Renegade ticked all the right visual boxes when it debuted in Geneva earlier this year. Based loosely on the same platform as Fiat’s European Panda and 500L, however, many in the US have wondered whether or the Jeep Renegade would be able to hold its own off road.
Sure, Jeep has assured us time and time again that the Renegade would be “trail rated“, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could get a bit of a sneak peek at what kind of off-roader the Renegade will really be? It sure would be. Indeed, it sure is – because a trail rated Jeep Renegade will be awfully similar to the 2014 Fiat Panda Cross 4×4 you see here!
Now, I’ll grant you that the upcoming 2015 Jeep Renegade doesn’t look much like the Panda Cross 4×4 from its parent company …
… but if you squint a little bit, you’ll see that, like the Panda, the Jeep’s front case is made of black plastic. Strictly eye-balling it, the two vehicles look to have similar ground clearance and, I’d bet, the perforated steel under tray on the Panda Cross will bolt onto the Jeep.
The Panda Cross 4×4 rides 9 mm higher than a an AWD Panda 4×4, giving it 161 mm of total ground clearance. The Fiat is fitted with 15″ wheels wrapped in all-season mud and snow tires. The Jeep version will very likely have bigger wheels, but a similar 24-degree approach angle and a 31-degree departure angle (if not better), and, like the Panda, should be capable of climbing a 70% incline and traversing 55% slopes.
Head on over to AutoExpress UK for some first-hand comments on how the Fiat Panda Cross 4×4 drives- and check back after July 30. Why July 30? Because I’ll be getting a first-hand look at the 2015 Jeep Renegade on that date, and I’ll let you know what I discover ASAP.
Source | Images: AutoExpress UK.
