Jeep rooms next to Ferrari at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, so it would have been a sad sight if the brand had nothing new to display. The Jeep Liberty Renegade and Jeep Wrangler Islander don't exactly qualify as new vehicles, but they're brightly painted to give them a shot at standing out from the Ferrari Red.
The 2010 Liberty Renegade is exactly what you remember from the first-gen Liberty Renegade, less the auxiliary light rack. It's a mid-grade trim level between the Sport and Limited trims. Four-wheel drive is standard, and you get the expected contrasting fender flares and moldings, plus white-letter P235.70R16 all-terrain tires and skid plates. Inside, there's new seat fabric. The Renegade goes on sale in the first quarter of this year; pricing hasn't been announced.
There's also a retro motif to the Jeep Wrangler Islander, which is a throwback to an option group last offered in 1992. That Wrangler, too, came in a flamboyant shade of blue (Surf Blue Pearl Coat). If you can't pull the trigger on that paint code, you can have silver, black or white. But you won't be able to lose the "Tiki Bob" logos adorning the hood and the gray/blue seats.
This option pack also includes Jeep's 17-inch Moab wheels, heavy-duty rubber floor mats and contrasting blue stitching on the steering wheel. Look for a price tag of $1,120 when the Islander group becomes available on regular and Unlimited Wranglers in the second quarter of 2010.
The Wrangler Mountain option group is pretty much the same idea. It also comes with the Moab wheels, while adding tubular side rails, taillamp guards and a fuel filler door from the Mopar catalog. You can get it with Rescue Green, Deep Water Blue or Brilliant Black paint. The cost is a steep $1,820, so the fuel door better be carbon fiber or at least genuine 14-carat gold.
firstclass says:
09:29 AM, 01/ 8/10
At least the Rubicon sticker still looks modern; Jeep might as well plaster a giant Pelican on the center of the hood to complete the 70’s look. If jeep wants to attract buyers they’ll have to offer more options than tires, ugly stickers and a "flamboyant shade of blue". The two tone interior is a good start.