The Jeep Renegade Is Going Away Because Nobody Is Buying It
Last year, Renegade sales were down to a quarter of what they were in 2016.
Jeep's most affordable model, the Renegade, is reportedly being discontinued in the United States and Canada. The Renegade is being wrapped up at the end of a long decline in sales that by some measures show it to be one of the slowest-selling new cars in the U.S. market.
The Renegade's withdrawal was reportedly confirmed to Automotive News by a Jeep spokesperson. The subcompact crossover will no longer be offered following the 2023 model year, eliminating the cheapest model in Jeep's lineup. Instead, that distinction will fall to the compact Compass, a slightly larger and pricier vehicle at $29,995 delivered.
Built in Italy on the Fiat 500X's platform, the Renegade arrived in 2015 and reached an early high, notching 106,606 sales in 2016 with its cutesy styling. Though the Renegade was found early on to be capable of a "stoppie," standing up on its front wheels during heavy braking, the characteristic didn't significantly impact sales.
Sales only declined significantly starting in 2019, before falling to 27,459 total in 2022. As of Q3 2023, they were down a further 35 percent, to 6,412 for the quarter. Because of these falling sales, dealers had an average Market Day Supply good for more than two years as of June. That exceeds the average new car's MDS by a factor of ten.
The Renegade is the second Jeep pulled from the U.S. market in 2023, with the Cherokee being quietly canceled in February. However, the Renegade will remain on sale in Mexico, Europe, South America, and Asia. In Europe, the Renegade is accompanied by the Jeep Avenger, a much newer subcompact SUV that measures six inches shorter in length. The Gladiator pickup has also faced significant discounts from dealers to move inventory as of late, though that pickup will stay on sale in North America, with 2024 models receiving many of the updates featured on the new Wrangler.
Jeep did not respond to our inquiry at time of publication.
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