British Police Test Jeep Renegade

Few vehicle brands could be considered as more American than Jeep, although the name is sometimes used around the world as a generic term referring to almost any rugged, four-wheel drive vehicle. However, the company has more European connections now than many people may know about, especially as it now owned by the giant Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group. Such globalization inevitably leads to vehicles and components being made all over the world, and the latest Renegade is a good example of that. The latest Renegade is actually being built in the same facility as the Fiat 500X, and it’s even being considered as new vehicle to be deployed by the Wiltshire Police force in England.

The typically narrow country roads of Wiltshire aren’t the sort of environment you’d usually consider as suitable for an American four-wheel drive vehicle, but the Renegade is actually quite well-suited to those roads. The baby Jeep is being tested as part of scheme that has seen a partnership formed by the Wiltshire Police and the local Swindon Jeep dealership, the T H White Fiat Group Brand Centre.

Although crossovers, SUVs and trucks are big business here in the United States at the moment, thanks to relatively low gas prices, our European friends, and especially British, don’t have the luxury of low fuel costs. While a gallon of gas costs around $2.90 on average over here, in the U.K. a gallon will cost you more than $8, which is the biggest reason why more than half of all passenger vehicles sold in the U.K. are diesels.

Although the small footprint/large interior format of compact crossovers like the Renegade is a good fit for the police and British roads, most departments have traditionally stuck with large wagons like the VW Passat or Golf. But after what has turned out to be a successful six-month trial for the Renegade with Wiltshire Police, the force is now committed to buying the diminutive Jeep.

Andrew Carr, who is the Hub Superintendent at the Gable Cross Police Station in Swindon, said of the Renegade, "We’re delighted to add the Jeep Renegade to our fleet of vehicles. It is the first Jeep we’ve used as a marked vehicle and we’re looking forward to the start of what we are confident will be a rewarding relationship between Wiltshire Police and T H White Fiat Group Brand Centre."

Although the Renegades the Wiltshire Police are buying will look very familiar to us here in the U.S. apart from the distinctive blue and yellow stripes, what’s going on under the hood will be very different from anything you’re likely to find over here. Over here you’ll find either a 1.4-liter turbo or 2.4-liter Tigershark gasoline engine in the Jeep, while the one the Wiltshire Police will be using will have a 1.6-liter diesel engine that develops 118 horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of torque.

If it’s decided that more power is needed, the Renegade can also be ordered over there with a bigger, more powerful 2.0-liter diesel, although with six different engines and a staggering 18 different power-train combinations on offer in the U.K., there’s certainly no shortage of choice.

It’s definitely not unusual for a British police department to employ SUVs as marked patrol vehicles, but they’re usually full-size models like the BMW X5 or the Land Rover LR4. It’s a real feather in the cap for the Jeep brand then, that the Renegade is now entering service with a U.K. police department. If it proves to be successful, Jeeps in yellow and blue stripes with lights and sirens may become a familiar site on British roads.

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