Jeep® Bids Ciao To The Renegade In 2024 For U.S. & Canada

The Jeep® Renegade will not return for the 2024 model year in the U.S. and Canadian markets. The entry-level Renegade has been produced in Italy since its introduction for the 2015 model year. While it hasn’t been as massive a hit as elsewhere in the world, it has been a roomy, well-equipped, and flexible vehicle. So much so that I recently purchased a Limited 4×4 for my wife as a daily driver.

According to Automotive News, Jeep says the brand abandoned the Renegade because of declining sales since 2016. While sales have continued to decline, they peaked in 2016 with 106,605 units sold. According to sales data, the Renegade has only sold 15,561 units from January to November of this year. In comparison, Q3 sales data of the all-new Dodge Hornet, also built in Italy, reached only 4,350 units from January to September in the U.S., indicating there may be more to the story of poor sales leading to the demise of the Renegade.

However, we believe there is more to it. Stellantis has already announced plans to retool the Melfi Assembly Plant, where the Renegade is built for the North American market, for five new electrified STLA Medium vehicles aimed at the European and Middle Eastern markets. Among those five vehicles are a new DS4, a longer DS8, a new Opel Manta, a Lancia Gamma, and the next-generation Jeep Compass. The retooling is set to start next year, making it a perfect situation to eliminate the Renegade from the U.S. and Canada.

In Europe, the Renegade has remained popular alongside the current Compass and the all-new slightly smaller, but comparable in size, Jeep Avenger. It will be interesting to see if Jeep completely discontinues the Renegade worldwide, as it has been a massive hit in countries like Brazil, Italy, and Germany for the American brand.

The entry-level Renegade Latitude currently comes standard with a turbocharged 1.3-liter inline-four-cylinder engine from the Global Small Engine (GSE) family, producing 177 horsepower and 210 lb.-ft. of torque. Each Renegade comes standard with a 9-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive (4×4). Additional standard features include 17-inch aluminum wheels and an 8.4-inch Uconnect 4C infotainment screen for $28,445 USD.

Nevertheless, those in North America who own a Renegade tend to love and praise them. It will be sad to see it go, especially considering the cost of vehicles these days. Other automakers like Ford and General Motors (GM) have continued to expand their smaller and cheaper vehicle offerings, while it seems Stellantis is moving away from this segment of the market.