2021 Jeep Renegade vs 2021 Volvo XC90

The 2021 Volvo XC90 successfully reshaped Volvo's image with its design, maintaining traditional styling features like a boxy profile and a blunt front end with a rectangular grille. However, it added more character with softer lines, increased chrome, and distinctive LED headlights with “Thor’s Hammer” daytime running lights. The Inscription trim, with its extra chrome trim and optional 21-inch alloy wheels, was the flashiest, while the R-Design and Momentum trims offered sportier and more basic looks, respectively. The XC90 shared its Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform with other Volvo models, ensuring a cohesive design language across the brand.

Inside, the XC90 embraced “Swedish minimalism” with thoughtfully arranged, high-quality materials. The matte-finish wood trim and optional wool upholstery provided a natural and unique touch. The Orrefors crystal shifter in the test car added a high-end feel, though it seemed out of place in the otherwise restrained interior. The XC90’s interior design focused on simplicity and elegance, avoiding overwhelming flashiness.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade, introduced in 2015 and refreshed in 2019, drew design inspiration from the iconic Wrangler SUV. It featured a boxy profile, circular headlights, and an upright seven-slat grille. For 2021, the Renegade continued with these design elements and made some previously optional features standard. Inside, the Renegade offered a modern, functional cabin with an upright center stack, reminiscent of the Wrangler, putting controls within easy reach. The Renegade came in various trims and special editions, each with unique features and equipment.

The Sport trim included push-button start, dual-zone climate control, a USB port, and a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Jeepster added keyless passive entry, remote start, 19-inch alloy wheels, and unique badging. The Latitude trim offered similar features to the Sport but included an additional USB port and 17-inch alloy wheels. The Upland trim, designed for adventure, featured beefed-up skid plates and a unique front bumper, while the 80th Anniversary trim included 19-inch alloy wheels, HD radio, and an 8.4-inch touchscreen with navigation. The Islander trim offered exclusive hood graphics, white roof panels, a dual-panel panoramic moonroof, and a unique color palette. The Limited trim provided luxury features like leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a power-adjustable driver's seat. The Trailhawk trim, focused on off-road capability, included skid plates, tow hooks, a lifted suspension, all-terrain tires, and an upgraded 4WD system.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 offered three powertrains, all built around a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base T5 engine was turbocharged, producing 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The T6 engine was both turbocharged and supercharged, delivering 316 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid, also known as Recharge, combined the T6 engine with electric assist, resulting in a total output of 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque. The T5 came standard with front-wheel drive (FWD), while all-wheel drive (AWD) was optional on the T5 and standard on the T6 and T8.

Despite the impressive 400 hp, the XC90’s small engine struggled to provide flexible power, especially when accelerating from a stop. The XC90 offered three drive modes—Pure (all-electric), Hybrid, and Power—but the Pure mode was only practical at low speeds with gentle acceleration. The gasoline engine often had to assist, making it challenging to maximize the all-electric mode. However, the XC90 excelled in ride quality, thanks to an optional air-suspension system, and maintained a quiet cabin. Most XC90 models had a 5,000-pound maximum towing capacity, except for the base FWD T5, which was rated at 4,000 pounds.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade featured a base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. The upgraded engine was a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder unit, generating 177 hp and 210 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, available with front-wheel drive (FWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD). The turbocharged engine provided better performance due to its higher torque, though the automatic transmission sometimes struggled with smooth shifts.

The Renegade offered a solid ride quality and was surprisingly composed through corners, despite its tall profile. The suspension handled rough road surfaces well, though the Trailhawk’s off-road setup was less composed. The Renegade’s short wheelbase made it highly maneuverable in tight spaces, and its impressive visibility made it an excellent city car. The Renegade also featured a terrain management system with Auto, Snow, Sand, Mud, and Rock drive modes, enhancing its off-road capability, especially in the Trailhawk trim, which had 8.7 inches of ground clearance and an off-road suspension.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 was available in six-seat or seven-seat configurations, depending on whether you chose second-row captain’s chairs or a bench seat. Headroom and legroom in all three rows were average for the segment, with the third row being tight for adults. The seats in the second and third rows felt hard and lacked support. An optional power moonroof extended across the first two rows, giving the interior a more spacious feel. Standard four-zone climate control could be enhanced with a filtration system to trap fine particulate matter.

The front seats in the Inscription trim were 10-way power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated, with backrest massage. However, the steering wheel was not power-adjustable. Storage space was limited, with a shallow center console storage bin and few storage options on the console. Cargo space for the T8 Recharge model was 11.2 cubic feet with all seats in place, 34.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and 64.1 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded, which was near the bottom of the segment. A hands-free power tailgate was available.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade offered 50.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 18.5 cubic feet with the rear seats in use. These specs were above average for the subcompact SUV segment. The Renegade’s tall, boxy design provided ample headroom in both rows. The front seats offered great legroom, while the rear seats were suitable for adults. The Renegade featured various storage solutions, including small cubbies and trays, and optional equipment tie-down solutions. The front passenger seat could fold completely forward, creating a table for gear or added space for long items.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 featured the Sensus infotainment system, which emphasized simplicity and functionality. It came standard with a 9-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, Bluetooth, and a built-in WiFi hotspot. Standard USB ports included two front USB-A ports and two rear USB-C ports. Optional features included a 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system and a head-up display (HUD).

The portrait-oriented touchscreen was user-friendly, allowing for easy navigation through menus. However, the amount of text and the typeface used made reading some menus difficult while driving. The wireless charging pad added for 2021 was too small for most phones, and the lack of front USB-C ports could be inconvenient for drivers with newer phones.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, with an optional 8.4-inch screen available on mid-tier trims and standard on higher trims. Both touchscreens ran the intuitive Uconnect infotainment system, featuring a logical menu layout, easy-to-read graphics, and a helpful dock with icons for major functions. Both screens also included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A Kenwood premium audio system was available.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for non-hybrid models. It earned top “Good” scores in all IIHS crash tests and a “Superior” rating for front-crash prevention tech in vehicle-to-vehicle testing, with an “Advanced” rating in vehicle-to-pedestrian testing. Headlights and LATCH child-seat anchors received “Acceptable” ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded all 2021 XC90 models a five-star overall safety rating.

The XC90 offered numerous standard safety features, including lane-keep assist, a driver-attention monitor, traffic-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist driver aid. Pilot Assist combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering, providing smooth and quick reactions to other vehicles, though it struggled with gentle highway curves.

For 2021, the Jeep Renegade made previously optional safety features standard across the lineup, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-path detection. Adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and front and rear parking sensors were available as options. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the Renegade four out of five stars in crash tests. Parallel parking assist was also available as an option.