The Jeep may have been ideal for bouncing soldiers and supplies through rough terrain during the world wars, but if you take a ride in one today, you'll quickly notice their lack of aerodynamics and fuel efficiency. Up until now, Chrysler's Jeep brand has continually offered fun, rugged gas-chuggers that seem to have no idea that oil is $100 a barrel. There are some signs, however, that the off-roading vehicles of the future will be able to take you out to the back country without needing an extra gas can.
Signs of a modest level of environmental awareness are sprouting up at Chrysler HQ. The Renegade concept is Jeep's first real step towards a 21st century vehicle. Boasting 110mpg, it's basically a dune buggy with a diesel hybrid engine and 4 wheel drive. The design is meant to test out eco-friendly manufacturing concept like minimizing the number necessary of parts and erasing the need for paint -- the color is blended into the body composite.While you could consider them pretty much polar opposites, the Renegade shares the same BLUETEC diesel technology with the Mercedes E320. The clean-burning diesel engine plus the plug-in lithium cell reportedly gives the Renegade a 400 mile range -- not bad for a 4WD. Will we see these buggies go into production? Probably not, but hopefully the eco-friendly technology will find its way into the rest of Jeep's lineup.
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