The Rise and Fall of the Jeep Renegade

Jeep CJ Renegade I (1970)

In 1970, the same year AMC acquired Jeep, the Renegade package debuted on CJ-5s. This special sales order (SSO) was nothing more than a rebranded “462” performance package from 1969, featuring a nearly identical spec sheet, including:

• A 3.7L Dauntless V6 engine

• Front bucket seats and a rear bench

• A roll bar

• A heavy-duty chassis

• A locking differential

• An oil-pan skid plate

• A rear swing-out tire carrier

• An ammeter

• An oil pressure gauge

Aside from these add-ons, the Renegade I featured two model-specific colors–Wild Plum and Mint Green–new 8-inch wide white road wheels, G70x15 tires, and a simple stripe across the hood. During the model year, Jeep produced an estimated 250–500 Renegades. 

Jeep CJ Renegade II (1971)

In 1971, AMC retained the Renegade SSO, resulting in a nearly identical package to the previous year’s. The 1971 Renegade, dubbed the Renegade II, featured new alloy wheels, a center hood stripe, and debuted with four new color options, including Baja Yellow, Mint Green, Riverside Orange, and Big Bad Orange.

Jeep CJ Renegade (1972–1986)

After two years of the Renegade SSO, AMC opted to include the package as a regular production option due to its immense popularity. This change also debuted during AMC’s overhaul of the CJ lineup, resulting in an elongated nose to fit AMC’s muscly I6 and V8 power plants. 

These new Renegades, offered from 1972–1986, packed AMC’s 304 V8, alloy wheels, and a Trac-Lok limited-slip rear differential, providing the Jeep with some much-needed AMC grunt. Reworked Renegade stripes adorn this generation’s rockers, while massive “RENEGADE” text stretches the length of the hood on either side. 

In 1976, AMC unveiled the all-new Jeep CJ-7 platform, which also received the familiar Renegade package until its 1976 demise.

Jeep YJ Renegade (1990–1994)

In 1987, Chrysler purchased Jeep from AMC, who’d recently completed the design of the CJ’s successor, the Wrangler YJ. Chrysler rolled out the model in 1987, oddball square headlights and all! After three years of production, and upon noticing the popularity of the street-truck scene, Chrysler opted to transform its flagship 4x4 SUV into a certified street fighter! 

When Chrysler announced the 1990 Jeep YJ lineup, an all-new package debuted alongside it. The Jeep YJ Renegade, officially titled the “Renegade Decor Group,” embraced the street styling popularized in the 1990s, including a massive, multi-piece fiberglass body kit color-matched to one of five available body colors. Molded rectangular fog lights were recessed into the front flares, a fully-loaded leather interior graced the cabin, standard body-matched hard tops provided much-needed insulation, wide aluminum wheels filled out the flares, and futuristic Renegade decals stretched the length of the body. 

Though revamped for street use, the YJ Renegade remained a basic Jeep YJ at its core. The identical 4.0L fuel-injected I6 resided beneath the hood, mated to the same 3-speed automatic or 5-speed manual, and the chassis and drivetrain remained unchanged, resulting in an odd amalgamation of parts without a focused goal…or audience. While sporting street styling, the YJ Renegade packs no mechanical upgrades geared toward performance driving; plus, the package tacked an additional $4,000 onto the MSRP!

Though the YJ Renegade is an undoubtedly unique example of 90s car culture, it also marked the beginning of the end for the Renegade name.

Jeep Renegade (2015–Present)

After a nearly 20-year hiatus, the Renegade name returned to Jeep’s lineup, albeit not in the way most purists would have preferred. The 2015+ Jeep Renegade was nothing but a re-bodied Fiat 500x, designed and produced by Italian automaker Stellantis N.V. 

This new compact crossover SUV is a far cry from the original CJ Renegade, losing even more of its off-road roots. However, we'll hand it to Jeep for producing a factory-lifted off-road variant, the Renegade Trailhawk, packing such features as: 

• The 2.4L TigerShark I4 engine

• A 9-speed automatic transmission

• Off-road-tuned suspension with a 20mm lift

• Underbody skid plates

• Jeep’s Active Drive Low 4WD system

• 17-inch alloy wheels

• Package-specific front and rear fascias

• Red tow hooks

• Trailhawk decals