Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV Engine/Transmission 1.3L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/9-speed automatic Curb Weight (F/R
Dist) 3,398 lb (61/39%) Wheelbase 101.2 in Length x Width x Height 166.6 x 74.2 x 66.5 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy 147/116 kW-hr/100 miles
CO2 Emissions, Comb 0.76 lb/mileSPECS 2019 Jeep Renegade 4x4 Limited
Base Price/As Tested $29,390/$33,265
Power (SAE net) 177 hp @ 5,750 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 200 lb-ft @ 1,750 rpm
Accel, 0-60 mph 9. 3 sec
Quarter Mile 17.3 sec @ 78.1 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 133 ft
Lateral Acceleration 0.76 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 28.6 sec @ 0.59 g (avg)
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 23/29/26 mpgF
or 2020, four models of the
revised Renegade are on
offer: Sport (with or without
an Upland appearance package),
Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk.
Sport and Latitude models come
standard with a 2.4-liter naturally
aspirated I-4 that makes 180 hp
and 175 lb-ft, but folks can step
up to an all-new 177-hp, 210-lb-ft
1.3-liter turbocharged I-4.
Styling has been refreshed
with a new grille and headlights,
while the Advanced Technology
package now includes adaptivecruise control and a suite of
parking assistance features.
All models come with the same
nine-speed automatic and can
be equipped with all-wheel drive.
For more serious off-roaders,
the Trailhawk gets Jeep’s Active
Drive Low 4x4 system, along with
electronic hill descent control,
a special selectable Rock drive
mode, 8.7 inches of ground clear-
ance, and underbody skidplates.
Our judges agree that even
without the Trailhawk trim, the
Renegade capable off-road.“The cuteness of it is starting to
wear a little thin, but you can’t
say the Renegade doesn’t
do Jeep stuff,” Evans said. “It
bashed through the sand and
over the frame twister with glee.”
At the test track, the turbo
Renegade was just a touch
quicker than one powered by the
base engine. But under normal
driving conditions, editors calledout the optional engine’s “on/off”
character, the gearbox’s “slug-
gish” response, sloppy handling,
and weak air conditioning.
Although editors generally
admittedly to liking the
Renegade, we’re still skeptical
about non-Trailhawk trims.
“Want a small, efficient Jeep?”
Seabaugh asked. “The Compass
is a far better buy.” Edward LohPRO More power, mpg • Real off-road chops • Smart cruise control
CON Sloppy road manners • Wimpy A/C system • Easter egg overloadJeep Renegade
Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV Engine/Transmission 5.0L supercharged DOHC 32-valve V-8/8-speed automatic
Curb Weight (F/R Dist) 4,644 lb (51/49%) Wheelbase 113.1 in Length x Width x Height 186.5 x 77.1 x 65.7 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy 211/160
kW-hr/100 miles CO2 Emissions, Comb 1.08 lb/mileSPECS 2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Base Price/As Tested $81,625/$89,900
Power (SAE net) 550 hp @ 6,000 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 502 lb-ft @ 2,500 rpm
Accel, 0-60 mph 3.9 sec
Quarter Mile 12.2 sec @ 113.4 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 114 ft
Lateral Acceleration 0.88 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 25.1 sec @ 0.82 g (avg)
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 16/21/18 mpgThe F-Pace SVR drives as
good as it looks. Its monstrous
supercharged V-8 rewards
liberal throttle usage with a
glorious engine note and a hard
shove back into your seat, and
its eight-speed automatic and
torque-vectoring all-wheel drive
help put the power down.
The SVR finally handles and
stops as it should, too, thanks to
optional summer tires.
Although the above speaks
highly of engineering excellence
and performance of intendedW
hen there’s a contender
as fun as the Jaguar
F-Pace SVR, it becomes
helpful to have our six Of The
Year criteria to help guide us.
A quick look at our notebooks
shows the internal philosophical
struggle the judges faced.
Loh: “Hello, darkness, my old
friend. I love its 550-hp 5.0-liter
supercharged V-8.”
When some judges raised
issues, normally staid Zach Gale
responded: “Lalalala, I can’t
hear you!”function, our other criteria sober
up the Zach Gales of the world.
For starters, there’s no denying
the somewhat claustrophobic
cabin. Although overall space
is good, the high beltline
makes front occupants feel like
toddlers and adults in the back
will struggle to peek out of the
F-Pace’s windows.
Then there are the issues of
the F-Pace’s telematics and its
interior appointments. Jaguar’s
latest infotainment suite is finally
CarPlay-compatible, but theinterface is still clunky and prone
to freezing. Material quality has
improved since its previous SUV
of the Year go-around, but not
enough to justify its price tag.
“In terms of special touches,
it’s not perfect,” Loh said. “There
still isn’t enough differentiation
from lower-trim F-Paces.”
Despite the fun we all had with
the F-Pace SVR, adding more
horsepower and making the
F-Pace handle even better still
doesn’t fix all its flaws.
Christian SeabaughPRO It looks great • And sounds even better • Now offers summer tires
CON A bit claustrophobic • Aged infotainment • Disappointing interiorJaguar F-Pace SVR
JANUARY 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 23