It's not Photoshop, folks. The 2015 Jeep Renegade just looks happens to look tiny while their CEO Mike Manley looks enormous from this angle. In person, it really does look more like a toy than I expected.
Manley didn't reveal anything we didn't already know about the upcoming Renegade; it's a lifted hot-hatch with a crawler gear and a focus on fuel economy aimed at young people. But he did affirm that he's planning to sell a lot of them: Jeep's sales target for 2014 is one million vehicles.
They're on track to make it happen, too. Jeep doubled their sales between 2009 and 2013 to over 700,000 SUVs, and last month was their best ever since setting up shop in 1941.
As for the 2015 Renegade, the size felt about right but plastic edges around the exterior give it a much more PowerWheels-like presence than I'd noticed in photos.
Interior seems reasonably solid, and the dual sunroof setup makes the little SUV feel a lot bigger than it really is. Quality of materials doesn't exactly look premium, but that'll be forgivable if the price point reflects that. I noticed a few Jeep Easter eggs in the moments I had inside; topographical maps etched in rubber and Willys grilles engraved into the speaker surrounds.
I did like the rear cargo tray, which is reversible (one side carpeted, one side rubber) and washable which would be great for dog driving.
Images: Brian Williams