Jeep Renegade leaving the US, Canada

Renegade (RED)

There will be no 2024 Jeep Renegade in the United States or Canada, according to a report from the industry weekly Automotive News.

The Renegade is Jeep’s least expensive vehicle. It was co-developed with the Fiat 500X; early prototypes were reportedly unsatisfactory and sent back to the engineering center after Jeep’s testing, requiring two years to meet the marque’s standards. Often sneered at by Jeepers for its relatively low off-road capability, the Renegade was still a tough-bodied vehicle…

Recall Monday: loose bolts, bad welds, and that Jeep recall

recalls-bolts

The week’s recall roundup includes some odd GM and BMW gaffes, randomly opening Ford doors, and, at last, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe recall announced by Stellantis two weeks ago.

At GM, the 2023-24 Cadillac Lyriq may have badly welded seat belt brackets, and the Hummer and Silverado EVs may have loose seat belt buckle bolts. These may seem like embarassing mistakes if they hadn’t been released with Ford’s 2015 Fiesta, 2016 Fusion, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ recall for doors which may open while driving.

2024 Fiat 500e prices set—below 2019 models

2022 Fiat 500 electric (BEV) (Fiat 500e)

Fiat is dropping the price on the 500e from the prior generation, but it will still cost more than the Leaf ($27,495).Buyers can get the 2024 Fiat 500e for $32,500 plus destination, according to Alex Bernstein of CarsDirect. His report comes from dealership order guides. The car may be sold as “haggle-free,” without individual discounts … Read more

Status report: Grand Cherokee Hurricane, Hemi, and four-banger

Jim Morrison piloting Grand Cherokee

When the Hurricane Six engines were first unveiled, a company executive said that the long-awaited twin-turbo straight sixes were to be optional in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, as well as appearing in the Jeep Wagoneer. 2023 models came and went without this option; and then the 2024s arrived, and while the Wagoneer went Hurricane-only, the Grand Cherokee stayed mostly as it was.

Avenger relaunch in four Jeep “brand attribute” commercials

2013 Jeep Avenger

Jeep has re-released the Avenger in Europe, with the addition of the awaited hybrid version to the existing all-electric model. The Avenger is a compact crossover not planned for sale in North America; the battery version has a 400V motor and 54 kWh battery.The hybrid uses a 1.2 liter, 3-cylinder gasoline engine with a 48V … Read more

Recall Monday: Wrangler and other companies

recalls

The Wrangler 4xe recall last week, which got perhaps more attention than it deserved (as only 1% of the vehicles actually have the flaw), grabbed headlines; but today’s list of recalls from the NHTSA is remarkably short, excluding as we always do commercial and recreational vehicles.The worst recall belongs to Land Rover’s 2023 Defender, with … Read more

Jeep Wrangler 4xe recall and fire warning (updated)

2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe

Jeep is recalling some 32,125 US-market 2021-24 Wrangler 4xes due to fire risk, though only around 1% have the flaw. The company advises that owners do not recharge them, but that they do park them away from structures and other vehicles, until the software is updated.The software update will include an automated check of the … Read more