The 2015 Jeep Renegade has launched in Europe ahead of its arrival in Australia towards the end of 2015. Could it be the new king of the compact SUVs?

BASED ON THE FIAT 500L the Jeep Renegade has just made its official debut in Europe, before going on-sale at the end of this month. Jeep Australia has confirmed to Practical Motoring that the Renegade will go on-sale in Australia towards the end of 2015, but there’s no word on pricing yet.

Borrowing a lot of technology from its bigger brother the Cherokee, the Renegade offers a nine-speed automatic as well as rear-axle disconnect to allow for two-wheel driving when four-wheel drive isn’t necessary.

Going one step further, the Renegade offers a quasi low-range setting thanks to its Jeep Active Drive and Jeep Active Drive Low functions which, when the latter is selected, alters the gear ratios. All models of the Renegade also feature Jeep Selec-Terrain with four settings, while the Trailhawk model gets five: Auto; Snow; Sand; Mud; and Rock (only on Trailhawk). More than just a pretend rough roader, the Renegade offers 210mm of ground clearance and 205mm of wheel travel.

Like the Jeep Cherokee range, the Renegade is available in four trim levels: Sport; Longitude; Limited and Trailhawk. The Renegade borrows a handful of Fiat-sourced engines, including 1.4-litre MultiAir2 turbocharged petrol engine (103kW) with Stop/Start, a 1.6-litre MuliAir2 turbocharged petrol (125kW), a 1.6-litre MulitJet II turbo-diesel (88kW) and a 2.0-litre MultiJet II turbo-diesel (125kW).

According to the press guff, the Renegade offers the ability to remove the roof, depending on the spec; a sliding glass panoramic roof is also available. And, as you can see in the pics, the Renegade carries all the hallmarks of a Jeep, from the seven-slot grille to the round headlights and removable roof.

We’ll have more information closer to the local release of the 2015 Jeep Renegade.