Stellantis has teased a facelifted Renegade for Brazil that will be unveiled early next year with an updated engine range and seemingly minor design tweaks. The teaser includes a picture of a camouflaged prototype, and a short video with the flagship Trailhawk variant driving on rough terrain. The silhouette of the car appears to be identical to the outgoing model, but the camouflage is likely hiding slightly redesigned bumpers, combined with new LED graphics on the headlights. While we don’t have pictures of the interior, the Renegade could get updated infotainment and more ADAS features.

More importantly, the Brazilian-spec Renegade will get the new locally-produced 1.3-liter T270 turbo-flex engine with a power output of 180 hp (petrol) or 185 hp (ethanol) and 270 Nm of torque. The new mill will be combined with either a six-speed automatic and front-wheel drive, or a nine-speed automatic and all-wheel drive.

 

Additionally, the front-wheel-drive variants will get the new Jeep Traction Control + feature which enhances traction on low-grip terrain and is already used on the larger Compass and Commander. The SUV also comes with four driving modes named Auto, Snow, Sand/Mud, and Rock. The Jeep Renegade, which shares its Small Wide platform with the Fiat 500X, was originally introduced in 2014. The first facelift came in 2018, while in 2020 Jeep launched the 4xe plug-in hybrid variant in Europe.

While most of us were expecting a new-generation Renegade after eight years in the market, it seems that the current model still has some life in it, since it is getting a second facelift. It is not clear however whether this update will find its way to Europe and North America, or if it will be reserved for South America. The most plausible scenario is that Jeep will retain a different engine lineup for each market, directed by emission regulations and customer needs. Jeep is also developing a smaller SUV to slot below the Renegade that will be sharing the CMP underpinnings with the rest of Stellantis’ B-SUVs (Peugeot 2008, DS 3 Crossback, Opel Mokka, etc). The entry-level Jeep will be produced in Tychy, Poland, starting from late 2022.