The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that it is adding two new automatic emergency braking systems to its New Car Assessment Program. The move follows a similar initiative by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Going forward, the NHTSA will include crash imminent braking (CIB) and dynamic brake support (DBS) automatic emergency braking systems in its list of list of recommended safety technologies. The NHTSA defines CIB as a system that is capable of stopping a vehicle autonomously while DBS refers to a system that provides supplemental braking power if the vehicle’s sensors detect an imminent crash.

“Today marks an enormous leap in the evolution of auto safety by encouraging adoption of new technologies to keep drivers and their passengers safe on our roads,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “I want this Department, the entire automotive industry, and other innovators to keep raising the bar on safety like we are doing now.”

Already available on a number of vehicles sold today, the NHTSA believes that the widespread adoption of automatic emergency braking systems, or AEB for short, could prevent thousands of traffic accidents per year. According to the administration’s data, more than 30 percent of all crashes in 2013 involved a rear-end collision that might have been prevented by an AEB system.

AEBs will not have an impact on a vehicle’s star rating.

In 2013 the IIHS added an autonomous braking test to its crashworthiness evaluations. Unlike the NHTSA’s rating system, a vehicle must pass the IIHS’ automatic braking crash test to be considered for the firm’s top safety ranking.

General Motors is reportedly preparing to hold back production of its Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano cars.
The move is viewed as a potential sign of trouble for the small-car segment, as gasoline prices continue to average around $2 per gallon across the US — encouraging some buyers to opt for larger cars, crossovers and SUVs with lower mpg ratings.

GM has not made any official comments regarding production cuts, but Automotive News reports that the company’s Orion Assembly plant in Detroit will suspend operations for three weeks beginning mid-February.

December sales showed a slight uptick in Verano sales and a 23-percent jump in Sonic shipments, despite lower fuel prices at the time. The Sonic finished up nine percent for 2014 overall, while the Verano was the only Buick model in the red at the end of the year.

Notably, Chevy’s diminutive Spark appears to have bucked the trend with December sales surging by nearly 76 percent and 2014 total shipments up more than 14 percent.

Audi has reportedly confirmed plans to push the TT off-road concept into production, using the nameplate TTQ.
The model was originally referred to as the Q4, however a trademark dispute with Fiat — which holds the rights to the terms Q2 and Q4 — has inspired the company to opt for TTQ.

“By taking the TTQ route, we avoid the confrontation with Fiat, we don’t overcrowd the Q corral, and we add a fresh twist to the TT theme,” an unnamed Audi senior manager told Car.

Unveiled at the 2014 Beijing show, the TTQ borrows from the TT’s overall design but in a taller crossover form. The concept was previewed with a hybrid drivetrain, pairing a 2.0-liter TFSI engine with a compact electric motor, however it is unclear if the same configuration will be used for the production edition.

The latest report places the TTQ’s market arrival sometime in 2017.

Image by Ronan Glon.

The Department of Justice has indicted a Takata executive over allegations of a price-fixing scheme.
Hiromu Usada has been accused of conspiring to rig bids for seatbelts sold to Japanese automakers Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda and Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries.

The agency claims Usada directed meetings with co-conspirators from at least 2005 through February 2011 or later. The group is said to have established collusive agreements to artificially inflate the prices of seatbelts.

The company itself already plead guilty late in 2013, resulting in a fine of $71.3 million USD. Four other executives pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to serve time in a US prison and pay fines.

The move is the latest action in a wider crackdown on price fixing in the automotive parts industry. The DoJ has charged 50 individuals and 32 different companies, with fines collectively totaling more than $2.4 billion.

“Antitrust violators who refuse to accept responsibility for their crimes leave us no choice but to indict,” said DoJ Antitrust Division deputy assistant attorney general Brent Snyder. “We will continue to prosecute those that commit these crimes.”

The compact SUV/crossover segment is one that only recently became a fixture in the U.S. automotive market. In a way, it’s a label that existed to define oddball hatchbacks that were a bit too big to be considered cars, but a bit too small to be considered SUVs. They combine the seating position and field of view of a crossover with the footprint of a subcompact–a combination that makes them ideal for those seeking practicality and fuel efficiency without compromising too much on safety.

How does one reconcile the concept of a practical, fuel efficient vehicle with the Jeep image? As it turns out, even the engineers were stumped at first. In our pre-drive presentation, Jeep’s reps admitted that it took some time to visualize the end product when offered those parameters. The eventual result was the 2015 Jeep Renegade.

Multinational origins
While the Renegade was designed and engineered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, final assembly takes place in Melfi, Italy and it shares some DNA with the upcoming Fiat 500X. While manufacturer reps insist that the Renegade is 100% Jeep, there are direct links to other compact/subcompact vehicles in the FCA portfolio.

By the numbers
The Renegade is small. At 166.6″ long and 74″ wide, its footprint is no bigger than that of a typical subcompact sedan. Front and rear overhangs were minimized to improve approach and departure angles (the degree to which the car can pitch in to or out of a ditch while off-roading). This pushed-to-the-corners design makes the most of the 101-inch wheelbase. Front and rear legroom are excellent, and the cabin is airy and spacious. Cargo volume is surprisingly good too. There’s just as much hatch space as you’d find in a Honda Fit or Ford Fiesta, and the seats fold down to accommodate large objects.

Jeep’s powertrain options seem impressive on paper. Buyers have their choice of two engines, two transmissions and two drive setups — front- or all-wheel-drive. But the actual configurations are a bit more restrictive than they appear at first blush. If you want the 1.4L, turbocharged MultiAir engine, you’re stuck with the six-speed manual. The 2.4L TigerShark is only available with the nine-speed automatic.

The 1.4L MultiAir engine makes 160hp at 5,500 RPM and 184lb-ft of torque from 2,500 RPM to 4,000 RPM. The 2.4L TigerShark makes 180hp at 6,400 RPM and 175lb-ft of torque at 3,900 RPM. EPA fuel economy figures are not yet available, but Jeep claims both powertrains are good for 30+ mpg on the highway.

All-wheel-drive is an option with either combination, which means that the Renegade is among a select few small cars still available with a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive. The Renegade’s small footprint also keeps weight in check. The Limited model in 4×2 weighs only 3,044lbs with the manual transmission. 4×4 models check in at 3,183lbs in the same configuration. It’s not until you make the jump to the 4×4 Trailhawk model that the curb weight becomes a factor, with the fully-loaded off-roader tipping the scales at 3,573lbs.

On the road
Jeep planned a day of trail testing the Renegade Trailhawk at Hollister Hills SVRA outside San Jose, California, but first we had to get there. For that, we hopped into a Jeep Renegade Sport with 4×4 and the standard six-speed for a two-hour trip over highways, surface streets and California back roads.

First impressions of the Renegade’s interior are excellent. The Sport is the base model, but it doesn’t feel like a penalty box. All models come standard with an electronic parking brake, power windows and locks, soft-touch trim panels and contrast-tone interior colors. You’ll also find basic power and connectivity in the form of 12v power and a USB charging port. Small Jeep touches and Easter Eggs can be found throughout the cabin, capped off with “Since 1941″ stamped into the radio trim bezel. For a car that starts below $20,000, the Sport model impresses.

Once underway, the Renegade further grew on us. The 1.4L MultiAir is happiest above 3,000 RPM, and can easily be caught flat-footed when climbing hills in higher gears. Sport, Limited and Latitude models offer a few soft-roading modes for owners who may take their street car on poorly maintained roads, but these are not for serious trail duty. With the 4×4 in “Auto,” the turbocharger spooled, and our aggression turned up, the Renegade can hustle.

On the back roads, the Renegade shined. The same wheels-at-the-corners stance that makes the Trailhawk a reasonable off-road proposition also bolsters the little Jeep’s road manners. It’s incredibly easy to place the Renegade in the lane, and the steering and brakes are remarkably compliant and communicative. As long as we stayed in the right gear we could throw the Renegade around complex corners and nasty switchbacks with the grace of most sporty compact cars. It’s not quite a Ford Focus or a Mazda3, but it’s close–way closer than it has any right to be. The ride is on the firm side, and the sporty damping combined with a short wheelbase can lead to a somewhat rough ride over particularly poor surfaces, but it’s not off-putting.

In the dirt
We arrived at Hollister Hills SVRA impressed with the Sport’s on-road performance, but plenty of small SUVs are competent on the street. In order for the Renegade to meet expectations, it has to excel off-road too. Jeep had us park our road-going testers at the rally point and handed us the keys to some Trailhawk models. This is no simple badge job. The Trailhawk comes standard with 4×4, a lockable center differential, an additional off-road drive mode, and Jeep’s Active Drive Low, which incorporates a 20:1 crawl ratio and hill descent control. The Trailhawk’s suspension allows 8.1″ of wheel articulation and it comes standard with 17″ wheels shod with on/off-road tires (Goodyear Wrangler SRAs or Falken Wildpeaks).

It’s also lifted slightly, boasting 8.7-inches of ground clearance, and sports revised front and rear fascias to maximize approach and departure angles (The Trailhawk’s approach angle is 30.5° vs. 21° on other 4×4 models and 17.9° on 4x2s. Departure angle is similarly improved at 34.3°, vs. 32.1° on other 4x4s and 29.7° on 4x2s.). It will ford 19-inches of water and, perhaps most surprisingly, can tow 2,000lbs with an available package.

These numbers may not impress a Wrangler shopper, but a compact SUV with a standard low-range setup is a very unusual beast, especially here in the United States where roads are well-maintained and the market for small off-roaders is generally limited to recreational vehicles (think ATVs and dirt bikes).

So, it looks good on paper, but how does it work? Very well, as it turns out. Jeep had two loops set up for evaluation of the Trailhawk. A short loop, similar to the introductory course one may find at a Jeep Jamboree or Camp Jeep facility, allowed the Renegade to show off its ground clearance, articulation and water crossing ability. The obstacles were artificial, designed to mimic challenges that may be encountered on open trails. It was possible to hang the Renegade on some of the trickier bits if an improper line was taken or guidance was ignored, but the little truck was capable of handling all of it with just a touch of off-roading acumen on behalf of the driver.

A longer run, set up on Hollister Hills’ public trails, took us up and over the neighboring mountain and offered us the chance to test not only the Trailhawk’s low-range, but its hill descent control as well. Several tall humps in the trail found the Trailhawk’s standard skidplates, and one crest in particular proved challenging for drivers who didn’t approach with adequate momentum. A Wrangler Unlimited acted as a lead car, guiding along the proper trails and hanging with the pack just in case one of the drivers encountered an obstacle that couldn’t be tackled alone.

At the end of the run, we encountered a several-hundred-foot, 38° downgrade. With the Trailhawk’s Active Drive Low engaged and hill descent control enabled, all we had to do was keep it pointed straight and let the computer do the rest. All told, the Trailhawk performed admirably.

Leftlane’s bottom line
The Jeep Renegade is an excellent compact SUV. Jeep targeted the Nissan Juke, Buick Encore and Kia Soul as primary competition. The Renegade is quieter and sportier than the Soul (no mean feat), more comfortable and drivable than the Juke, and more aggressive and capable than the Encore. With the growth expected in this segment, it’s a bit premature to say the Renegade is the presumptive leader, but it’s more than simply competitive.

2015 Jeep Renegade Sport, priced from $17,995. Destination, $995.
2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk, priced from $25,955. Destination, $995.

Photos by Byron Hurd.