by Gabrielle DeSantis

Hold on to your horses! A new Electric Jeep is riding into town. The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport is shaking its hooves because this mystery Jeep EV might bring the heat. Plus, we suspect that it’s the Jeep Renegade 4xe.

Is the Jeep Renegade 4xe coming after the Ford Bronco Sport? 

We’ve got our eyes on the new mysterious Jeep. Stellantis is teasing us with a beefier electric off-roader that was revealed during Jeep EV Day 2021. It looks like they’re really committing to its zero-emission, 100% freedom goal of having an electric trim for each model by 2025. 

And here’s our hot take. We think that the mystery EV model could be the Jeep Renegade 4xe. Only it looks like they made it beefier to answer the Ford Bronco Sport. If you look at the image, the stubby, upright grill is connected to a short hood, and the roof has a sloping arch. 

The arch hangs over the tailgate, just like it does on the Renegade. Only it has a tire mounted on the back, like a Jeep Wrangler and the Ford Bronco. The Renegade also looks lifted with chunkier all-terrain tires and upgraded suspension components. 

Why would Jeep make an Electric Renegade? 

Here’s a plot twist. We have been waiting for the 2021 Jeep Renegade 4xe to come out in America, but for some reason, it hasn’t, despite being popular. You probably see them everywhere. Four of them were parked together at Asheville’s kickball league last night. 

Plus, the Jeep Renegade 4xe is the best-selling low emission SUV in Italy, along with the Compass 4xe. But you don’t need two subcompact variants in the United States. So, you can keep one model small and enhance the other one. 

But in Italy, we get it. The streets are smaller, and the Renegade and Compass are both incredibly agile. They’re perfect for easily maneuvering in tight areas. 

When we drove the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, we kept thinking that it felt like a slightly larger Renegade. It has a wider interior and a taller ride height. Also, it had less body roll around curvy mountain roads. 

These are things that we’ve wished the Renegade has. Also, the Renegade has been out for a while. We’ve been wondering when the Renegade will have a refresh. The first-generation Renegade came out in 2015. It’s safe to say it’s aging. 

Jeep will listen to fans. The new 2021 Ford F-150 has max-recline seats, and during Jeep EV Day, you can see a couple laying flat in a Jeep Wrangler. This also could represent that Jeep is rising to answer Ford’s challenge. 

They came bucking out of the gate with the Bronco and Bronco Sport to rival the Wrangler. But the Bronco Sport is often compared to the Cherokee instead of the Renegade. In reality, the Renegade is the Baby Wrangler with exceptional off-roading capabilities, like the Sport is the Baby Bronco. 

How much power does the Renegade 4xe have? 

The current Jeep Renegade 4xe has a 1.3-liter gasoline engine that’s paired with two electric motors. They combine to generate 190 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. With the S and Trailhawk trims, you get 240 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. The 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the gasoline-powered Renegade provides 177 hp and 210 lb-ft of torque. 

But the Jeep Wrangler 4xe cranked things up in America. If you don’t count the Rubicon 392, the strongest gas-powered Wrangler features 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The 4xe has 370 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. 

So, the Renegade 4xe could have more power in the states, and it will need to. The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport has a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine with 181 hp and 191 lb-ft of torque. Upgrading to the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine gives you 245 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. 

This is all speculation, but clues seem to create a bigger picture. We will be watching as the Jeep Magneto and other electrified models debut. Either way, we want the Renegade 4xe in America.

RELATED: Does the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Have a Good Range?

The post This Electric Jeep Will Dethrone the Ford Bronco Sport appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2021 Toyota Tacoma is a best-selling truck with superior crash prevention and decent crash test ratings. Yet it’s far from perfect. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested it and published their findings. So what is the 2021 Toyota Tacoma’s biggest weakness?

The 2021 Toyota Tacoma has mostly good crash test ratings – except for one

The 2021 Toyota Tacoma has good crash test ratings for its small overlap front: driver, as well as moderate overlap, side, roof strength, and head restraints and seats. What is the Toyota Tacoma’s biggest weakness? It’s small overlap front: passenger side crash test rating, which is only acceptable. 

Within the small overlap front: passenger side crash test subcategories, most of the ratings are also good. The exception, and likely the reason that it received only an acceptable rating, are the passenger injury measures, specifically the lower leg/foot. This rating was poor, which as you might guess, is the worst it can get. The passenger restraints and dummy kinematics are also just acceptable. 

What are the small overlap crash tests?

 The IIHS does a small overlap crash test on the driver and passenger sides. The small overlap front: driverside test measures how well a car does when the front left corner of the vehicle hits something like a tree or another car. 

Initially, the IIHS started doing small overlap crash tests because they realized that car manufacturers weren’t paying attention to the front corners of the cars they made, and injuries and fatalities were high in accidents involving these areas of vehicles. They began testing the small overlap front: driver side to remedy this. 

In response, car manufacturers began improving the safety of the driver side of the car. However, many car manufacturers didn’t carry these safety improvements over to the passenger side of the car, and it was much more dangerous on that side of the vehicle. Now that the IIHS tests both sides, overall safety is improving, but it still isn’t perfect. 

To conduct the small overlap frontal tests, a vehicle travels at 40 mph. The front left or right portion of the car (depending on whether it’s the driver or passenger test) strikes a five-foot barrier. 

Why are the small overlap crash tests important?

The small overlap front: driver and passenger tests are important because they test how well the airbags and seatbelts do. They also gauge the effectiveness of safety cages.

Safety cages are meant to withstand a crash. They work with crush zones which distribute the energy from a crash in a way that should reduce the impact on people in the car. These crash zones are in the middle of the front of the car, which is why it’s important to test the outer edges of the car. 

In accidents like the small overlap crashes tests, the crash energy goes into those front corners. This can include the wheel wells, which can then be pushed into the vehicle. When this happens, it can cause injury to the driver and passengers in the vehicle. The small overlap tests determine how well the safety cage does when the force on a car isn’t on the crush zones.Overall, this midsize pickup is just an okay choice. The Tacoma’s biggest weakness is certainly that crash test rating. If you’re looking for a midsize pickup truck, there aren’t a lot of options that have good crash test ratings across the board. If you’re willing to look for a bigger pickup truck, the Ram 1500 crew cab is a pretty good choice. Otherwise, pay attention to the crash test ratings and safety features in the truck you’re shopping for, and drive carefully.

RELATED: There Are a Whole Bunch of Trucks You Shouldn’t Buy If You Have Little Kids

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