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What makes a 4×4 a 4×4? It’s the four-wheel drive system. Four-wheel-drive is different from all-wheel-drive in a couple key ways. The Jeep Renegade 4×4 can be a four-wheel-drive, or all-wheel drive, or front-wheel-drive, depending on how you order it.

All-wheel-drive means that power can go to each wheel, whether that’s from a full-time or selectable AWD system. Four-wheel-drive, on the other hand, is driven by a mechanical connection and a transfer case that provides power to all four wheels. Generally, a four-wheel-drive system is stronger, and has a low-range for pulling stumps or getting a heaving vehicle up a steep hill. Many SUVs have an all-wheel-drive system instead of a four-wheel-drive.

The Renegade Latitude can be ordered as an affordable small front-wheel-drive SUV, or as a Trail Rated, Jeep speak, four-by-four. It’s not exactly a 4×4, but it’s not exactly not one, either.

Is the Jeep Renegade 4×4, all-wheel-drive, or front-wheel-drive?

Jeep Renegade 4×4 Trailhawk | Jeep

It’s all of the above. Sort of.

The base Renegade is a front-wheel-drive SUV, much like a car. But there are many options to make it more capable off road.

The Renegade Latitude 4×4 can come with Jeep’s Active Drive Low system. That system makes the Jeep Renegade all-wheel-drive, but it certainly has an eye towards off-road ability. With a typical four-wheel-drive system the driver needs to switch from two-wheel-drive to four. The Renegade’s 4×4 system has sensors that put the power to whatever wheel needs it, and eliminates the driver’s need to fiddle with any switches.

But it doesn’t have a transfer case, so there’s no torque multiplication when you’re in low mode.

The TrailHawk is the Trail Rated 4×4 package

The Jeep Renegade TrailHawk system has a low-gear ratio, just like a traditional off-road truck’s. The crawling ratio helps it climb things, or pull things, that a regular Renegade can’t with a 21:1 crawl ratio, which was increased for 2022.

To help the Trailhawk get over the tough stuff, it has up to 8.7 inches of ground clearance, skid plates to protect it, and tow hooks (just in case). The Trailhawk also includes off-road necessities like hill-descent control, up to 19 inches of water fording ability, and wheel that can articulate over rocks.

The Active Drive and Active Drive Low systems also have five modes, including: Auto, Snow, Sand, Mud and Rock. It can also tow up to 2,000 pounds. The Trailhawk version starts at $29,970, and while that’s almost $7,000 more than a base Renegade, it does offer a lot more capability.

What’s new for the 2022 Jeep Renegade?

Jeep Renegade 4×4 Trailhawk | Jeep

For 2022, Jeep is offering the new Altitude Package and an Islander Package, which are appearance packages. The Altitude is easily spotted with its gloss black badging and grille rings, a rear valence, and gloss black wheels and mirrors.

For 2022 Jeep made the 8.4-inch touchscreen with GPS navigation standard on Sport and Latitude trim levels.

All Jeep Renegades come with a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder motor. The Sport starts at $24,195 and is a front-wheel-drive SUV, while the Latitude and Altitude start at $28,690 and $29,290 and add the all-wheel-drive system.

RELATED: Most Jeep Renegade Owners Would Never Buy Their Car Again

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Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.