BUMP: OK when I first saw the Jeep Renegade concept, first thing that came to mind was the Kia Soul... then I remembered that pathetic Compass model and I just assumed it was a new generation of tiny useless fake SUV's.
That said, I've been paying attention to some of the details and specs recently... and started seeing some pretty interesting numbers on the TrailHawk model:
Rated Water Fording: 19"
Ground Clearance: 8.4"
Wheel Articulation: 8.1"
Front/Rear Tow Hooks
Crawl Ratio: 20:1
Transmission: 9 Speed - w/ 4-Low mapping
5 Landscape control settings (auto/snow/sand/mud/rock)
Selective Strut dampening
Yes I know that none of these are overly impressive... However this vehicle is a lot smaller and weighs less than other 4x4 vehicles. It kind reminds me a lot of the old Suzuki Sidekicks... only maybe more capable?
I think with some decent MT's and a few tweaks it might actually be a pretty fun little off-road vehicle... cheap to buy, cheap to run, light and small enough to make up for its short comings... or am I just falling for the Fiat/Jeep ruse?