The new Avenger is a well packaged small SUV that’s perfect for local runs, trips to the beach and hiking days out. The brand name and design is well known and now that it’s in electric form we look at how with proven underpinnings from cars such as the e-2008, the Jeep name will continue to strive forward. Even with parts taken from other cars, driving it doesn’t necessarily feel like a traditional Jeep, yet it’s not the same as a Peugeot either. It’s not really a full off roader even though it has the looks of one. That extra bit of bumper cladding will come in more useful in ding-heavy supermarket car parks than it might if it were always in the wilderness on off-road tracks. If you’re looking at the Jeep but perhaps find yourself needing more of an all weather car, you could wait until later next year for the all-wheel drive version Avenger.
Special mention : Great interior design with well thought out functions for the air con. Safety systems don’t interfere with driving. High set seating position gives very good visibility.
Needs work : Boot Open/Close function could be smoother, proximity lock/unlock triggers easily when walking near or around the car, rear passenger space could do with more knee room. Pricey for a high rise hatch style car, mostly it’s the cost of battery tech.
| 154 PS | Electric / Auto / 395 KM Range |
| 0-100 km/h in 9 seconds | Road Tax €120 |
| Price: from €35,995 As Specc’d €39,495 | Boot Space 355 litres |
The compact SUV segment is one of the most sought after in Europe, and Jeep is moving forward rapidly to catch up to the market leaders with the Avenger, which now has an immense catalogue of mechanicals, platforms and tech to pick and choose from via parent company Stellantis.
While the Avenger looks big in photos it’s the smallest model in the Jeep range. It comes with a 54kWh (51kWh usable) battery for a maximum range of up to 400 kms using Stellantis most up to date battery technology. The Avenger’s 100kW maximum charging speed tops-up from 20-80% in 24 minutes. If you leave it to charge overnight it takes around 7 hours and 18 minutes to charge from zero to full using a typical 7kW home charging point.
The Avenger has the look of an off-roader but what exactly is its capability? Well it has around 200mm of ground clearance with short front and rear overhangs lending it a boxy and rugged style. It has a wide track yet is shorter than a Nissan Juke and a Peugeot e-2008. While legroom is the same as most small suv crossovers (which is to say it has hatchback levels of knee room) it makes up for it with plenty of headroom.
There’s a 380-litre boot with a wide opening making it easy to get pets, boxes or odd shaped items in. A couple of times the auto boot open forced us to use the manual push to close it but perhaps this was more down to previous users forgetting that it was an auto boot close and forcing it to close which doesn’t do much good for the mechanicals. There’s also around 34 litres of storage in the front of the cabin which always comes in handy specifically during day trips out. There’s a cleverly hidden cubby on the central tunnel below the hot keys which you can hide valuables under a magnetic style flip cover. There’s plenty of space in there and in this top spec version there’s a wireless phone charger which won’t show your phone to any prying eyes if you leave it behind.
Importantly on the inside, the design and layout of the interior switches are well thought out and user friendly. They haven’t just been placed on the dash using CAD software without ever really testing it in real life. To brighten things up you can spec the colour of the dash to match the outside too. Although one area of the design seems to have escaped them and apart from the Stereo which is rather good, the sound of the indicators is an odd mixture of Roland TR-808 and metronome.
The infotainment system has been slightly tweaked from other Stellantis vehicles, there’s not much in the way of graphics design, it has a similar look to the Sync 4 system you get in Fords but you do get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which connects seamlessly. Thankfully and importantly the safety systems don’t interfere (unless genuinely required) and the climate controls sit on a row of piano-style buttons underneath the main display which are easy to access without taking the drivers attention away from what’s happening on the road ahead.
Entry-level models come with Apple CarPlay / Android Auto, auto LED lights, 16” alloys & climate control. The next level up has a bigger digital dash, 17” alloys, keyless entry, power tailgate, interior trim selections with extra USB port for rear passengers. Top-spec comes with 360 parking sensors, level 2 autonomous driving, 18” two tone alloys, heated seats, decent quality reversing camera and auto tailgate with ‘kick to open’ function.
Jeeps have often compromised on-road capability with a leaning towards a very American style of comfort and dynamics. With the Avenger it has a better dynamic ability with the battery placement giving it a low centre of gravity and even though it has quite a bit of ground clearance, there’s not much of a top heavy feeling. When it’s windy on the motorway you do notice the height and boxiness that little bit more however.
The 154bhp pull makes it easy to cut through gridlock and if you find yourself in the city with the only space available that others couldn’t make it into, the Avenger is extremely adept at getting right in there as easily as possible. Jeep has extended the range available via the use of brake regeneration which is best used in congested stop/start. You get 4 driving modes Eco, Normal, Sport and Sand as well as a hill descent system, you can switch easily between them using the toggle on the centre console.
While the Jeep Avenger certainly meets the class standards of range and charging capability, it doesn’t quite inherit the off road capability of its grandparents. It’s nippy, small, stylish and should do well in an urban setting with fun day out aspirations.