If not pioneered, the small SUV segment was defined by the Nissan Juke, and it has welcomed a lot of members lately, including from Jeep. The smallest ever vehicle to wear Jeep’s badge is the Renegade and it was introduced last year in Geneva.
The sub-compact crossover is also the first ever Jeep to be built exclusively outside the U.S., at two facilities, in Melfi, Potenza, Italy and Goiana, Pernambuco, Brazil. The South American country is also where the Renegade was named 2016 Car of the Year, by Autoesporte Magazine.
The award was handed over in Sao Paulo, during a ceremony on Wednesday night, at Villa Verico, after the Renegade was voted by a group of 20 local journalists. The award has been hosted annually by the magazine since 1966.
“We are honored to receive this important recognition,” said Mike Manley, Head of Jeep Brand – FCA Global. “The Jeep Renegade is made in Brazil for Brazil. This is the right vehicle, at the right time, to help drive the expansion of the Jeep brand in Brazil and across Latin America.”
According to FCA, the Jeep Renegade “is the leader in sales within the SUV segment in Brazil” while also becoming one of the top 10 best-selling vehicles in the market in the months of September and October. The crossover was also named the safest Brazilian-made vehicle when evaluated by Latin NCAP in its crash tests.
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