Jeep To Stop Production Of The Renegade In Europe

Stellantis will cease production of the Jeep Renegade at its Italian factory in Melfi at the end of this year, thus concluding the 11-year European career of the smallest Jeep.

The Renegade debuted in 2014 at the Geneva Motor Show and quickly won over buyers with its angular body and round headlights. At the height of its popularity, 80,000 units were sold annually in Europe and 100,000 in the US, with a total of over 2 million vehicles sold globally.

However, the popularity waned despite regular updates. The last redesign was due in 2022, but sales in Europe fell by 51% this year to just 6,938 vehicles in the first half of the year.

The reason for the withdrawal lies partly in the success of the new Jeep Avenger. Avenger sold 52,154 units in Europe this year, representing a 34% growth.

Stellantis also drastically narrowed the Renegade’s engine lineup. In Germany, only the petrol with a mild hybrid (130 hp) is offered, while the diesel and 4×4 versions were removed during the pandemic.

The Renegade at the Melfi factory gives way to the new next-generation Jeep Compass, whose mass production will begin soon. There will be no direct successor, and European owners will switch to the Avenger or the larger Compass.

However, that is not the end for this cube-shaped model. The Renegade’s career continues in Brazil, currently the largest market with 24,381 vehicles sold this year, although it also recorded a 16.7% drop there.

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