It's official!! At the 2014 L.A. Auto show, FCA announced that the all new 2015 Jeep Renegade will sell, and I quote, "well below $20,000" and this INCLUDES 4-Wheel Drive models!! This of course is fantastic news and what I had assumed all along. Check it out...
Renegade mini-Jeep on sale in January 'well below' $20k
LOS ANGELES -- Jeep will put its small Renegade on sale in January, starting "well below" $20,000. Even -wheel drive, models still will come in at less than $20,000, Jeep says.
Based on the same underpinnings as the Fiat 500X, the Renegade already is being sold overseas as a 2015 model, and for consistency, the U.S. version will be called a 2015 also, even though it could be tagged a 2016 under U.S. regulations.
A manual transmission, rare in an SUV, will be offered on the front-wheel and all-wheel drive models.
Jeep, a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles brand, has tested the small utility in challenging off-road terrain and believes it will perform well enough that one version, called Trailhawk, will carry the "Trail Rated" badge. The designation distinguishes Jeeps suitable for hard-core off-road driving from those better suited for all-weather and all-road use.
Renegade joins an almost explosively growing small SUV segment that barely existed just a few years ago. Often called city utes, they are aimed at people who want versatile vehicles but often have limited parking space, or who need the additional fuel economy of a small vehicle.
Renegade will offer two engines:
•1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four-cylinder rated 160 horsepower and 184 pounds-feet of torque.
•2.4-liter Tigershark four-cylinder rated 184 hp, 177 lbs.-ft.
Transmissions will be six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic, depending model.
Published on USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/11/19/jeep-renegade-20000-fiat-500x/19298845/