--- title: "The Jeep That America Didn’t Want Keeps Getting Better Everywhere Else" date: "2026-03-27" modified: "2026-03-27" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-jeep-that-america-didnt-want-keeps-getting-better-everywhere-else" categories: - "Jeep News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Jeep" - "Renegade" - "suv/crossover" --- # The Jeep That America Didn’t Want Keeps Getting Better Everywhere Else ![2027 Jeep Renegade]() *\Stellantis\* The Jeep Renegade [left the U.S. market]() after the 2023 model year. Elsewhere, though, you can still buy one. Brazil, in particular, [seems to love 'em](). And not only can you still buy a Renegade in Brazil, but it looks to be much better than the one that left our shores years ago, because it's gotten an exterior touch-up and interior overhaul. I always find it interesting when certain cars are discontinued in some places, then go on to live their best lives elsewhere. The Renegade sold well out of the gate in the U.S., with [Jeep]() moving well over 100,000 units in the tiny SUV's first model year, 2015. (Its platform dates back to Fiat and GM products from the mid-aughts—yeah, it's that old.) But deliveries quickly fell off a cliff and never recovered. When the Renegade left us, it still had its goofy, squircle-y dashboard. [The one Brazil is getting](), however, may as well be a new car on the inside. ![]() *Here's how the Renegade's interior looked before it was taken off the market in the States... *Stellantis** ![]() *...and here's how it looks now. Hey, that could be a car built this decade! *Stellantis** Hey, that's a stylish-looking dash, with nice materials in this Willys-badged model, and a larger screen fitted with Stellantis' latest infotainment. You still get physical climate controls, too, so that digital expansion hasn't come at a loss elsewhere. Outside, the latest Renegade continues the model's slow descent from upbeat to angry to downright unamused. Jeep's once-cute-ute looks absolutely tired of everyone's bullshit now, with a furrowed brow atop a restyled grille that picks up some of the Wagoneer S' three-dimensional cues. Jokes aside, I think this is the best the Renegade has looked yet. ![]() ![]() ![]() I'm not going to say that the Renegade left us before it should've, or that it needs to come back; Stellantis has the data to know what American buyers want, and the Renegade wasn't it. Yeah, maybe more investment would've gotten more buyers on board, but, in the U.S., at least, really small cars have always been a bit of a hard sell. Plus, today there's the whole tariff upheaval to contend with, and all of these are made in Italy, China, or—you guessed it—Brazil. The new Compass has taken so long to make its way over here for similar reasons. ![]() ![]() ![]() The Renegade, though, persists. Even in Europe, which received the newer Avenger some years back, it remains an option for subcompact SUV buyers. And good for the little Jeep. It's good dating advice, and it also rings true for cars: No reason to waste time on people who don't appreciate you. *Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()