The Jeep Renegade and Jeep Cherokee have similar gas mileage, though they are in different classes, when equipped with the same engines.

The boxier shape of the Renegade, which maximizes its footprint, seems to hurt its economy. The Cherokee, on the other hand, doesn’t have as much of an interior space advantage as one would expect with its greater size, partly because it was designed to have a V6 installed.

Pricing is surprisingly close as well.

Jeep-Renegade-Yellow-Web

In the U.S., the Renegade has a standard 1.4 liter engine with a standard transmission, though that’s not available with the only model that comes with skid plates, the Trailhawk — which requires the Chrysler 2.4 engine with a nine-speed automatic. Cherokee starts with the 2.4/nine-speed, but has an optional V6/nine-speed.

A wide panoply of engines is available for front-wheel-drive Renegades outside the US, while export Cherokees get diesels. V6 Cherokees also get stop-start systems now.

2015 Jeep Cherokee

The front-wheel-drive, 2.4 liter Renegade automatic is rated at 22 city, 31 highway (25 combined), not far above the Chrysler 300 V6 (18/31). The Jeep Cherokee FWD 2.4 has the exact same estimates, while the AWD Cherokee, with the same engine, is rated at 21 city, 28 highway (also similar to the AWD 300 V6).

Going to the Cherokee V6 drops just 1 mpg from city, highway, and combined estimates for the AWD model — while the FWD Cherokee V6 gets 21 city, 29 highway.

By comparison, the decidedly lower-end Kia Soul runs 23 city, 31 highway in FWD, using a 2.0 liter engine. (Thanks, “dodgeatheart.”)

Automotive News today noted that the EPA is thinking of eliminate a loophole which let automakers re-use tests where cars had similar weights and identical powertrains. Ford was caught using that for two very different vehicles, resulting in a hefty restatement in fuel economy for its C-Max hybrid and two sets of payments to owners. If Chrysler used that loophole to save time and money on the front wheel drive Renegade, it could explain why that vehicle’s testing came through first and why the results are identical to the Cherokee.

TigerShark 2.4 liter engine

The EPA also updated calculation of road load values in coast-down tests (from 70 mph to zero), updating for a wider range of speeds to increase accuracy.  Ford, Hyundai/Kia, and Mercedes have all had to reduce their published gas mileage due to mistakes on that test, resulting in more audits. and a $350 million fine from Hyundai and Kia.

Fuel economy ratings for the other Renegades has not yet been announced by the EPA or by Jeep.