[Koo-Sang Column] Original Jeep and New Renegade, different design factors?

Recently introduced Jeep Renegade is the first car born under the cooperation between Fiat and Chrysler after their merger.

Here, ‘Jeep’ is a sub-brand of Chrysler-Fiat group, and ‘Renegade’ is name of a model, which is Jeep’s first compact SUV. Therefore, the new Renegade is a four-wheel drive vehicle which has monocoque body.

The name Renegade was used for 3rd generation YJ Jeep in 1987, but now it is used to call this compact SUV. Renegade means ‘turncoat’ which does not sound great, but it was used for YJ models to indicate that YJ models has a rectangle head lamps, which is quite not common, but a change. Today, the name Renegade is used to define that this compact SUV is totally different car from those traditional Jeep models.

Perhaps, Wrangler can be called as the most traditional and original Jeep model in Jeep brand. Recently, most of four-wheel drive vehicles are SUVs, that are four-wheel drive models developed for Sports and Utility. Therefore, the body is shaped like a long wagon, but original jeep is actually a roofless compact truck.

After the second world war, Willys who produced military jeep has developed CJ(Civilian Jeep)-2A, a civilian model. The early model has almost same structure with the military jeep. However, round shaped head lamps and vertical slot shaped radiator grille remain till now.

Therefore, from the civilian jeep CJ-2A introduced in 1946 and JK Rubicon model, vertical shaped radiator grille has not been changed. However, YJ Wrangler Renegade has its first and perhaps the last rectangle headlamps. TJ introduced in 1997 has a round lamps, and it continues till JK Rubicon introduced in 2007.

However, in my personal opinion, rectangle headlamps’ front panel design gives modern and urban image. But with being no doubt, Jeep’s round head lamps definitely are Jeep’s traditional design identity.

Therefore, round headlamps and the grille now become Jeep’s identity. The seven-slot grille is used for overall Jeep models including Renegade, Cherokee, and Grand Cherokee.

However Cherokee’s early model did not have a more than seven slots for its grille. This is because Cherokee, the name come from one of North American Indian tribes, and the Indian look gave an inspiration of design. However, overall Jeep models now shares seven-slot grille.

Although new Renegade is designed based on Jeep’s traditional design, it has 1.4-liter, 2.4-liter gasoline engine, and 2.0-liter diesel engine, and is produced based on Fiat’s compact four-wheel drive platform. Perhaps, this may can be a reason of using the name ‘Renegade’.

New Renegade is a five-door hatchback model with roof. To emphasize original Jeep’s roofless structure, roof is covered with black color. The rectangle wheel arch still can be seen.

The rectangle designed wheel arch is for off-road driving. Although, we now do not actually need to have it, but it can be thought as an icon or a identity of Jeep. Along with it, new Renegade’s tail lamps are designed to remind of Jerry Can, an original Jeep’s symbol fuel tank.

In terms of instrument panel, a handle for passenger seat can be found. This is to offer a grip for passenger in the off-road situation, and can be understood as a symbol of off-road model.

Car body colored rings are attached on both ventilation grille bezel, change lever bezel, and speaker bezel. This implies that the early jeep did not have its trims, and used its body color exposed.

Jeep has more than 70-year history from 1942, and Chrysler now becomes a part of Italian Fiat. It is quite ironical that Jeep which was a military vehicles for the Allied Forces during the second World War, now develops based on Italian brand’s platform.

This may be able to be seen as a natural flow. Virtually, everything in the world changes as time flows. Therefore, yesterday’s enemy can be today’s friend, and today’s competitor can be a company in the future. And in those various changes, history and car can ultimately be developed.