The new Jeep Avenger small electric SUV can travel up to 254 miles on a full charge and promises to be good to drive on-road. We've driven it to find out how good it is...
On sale May 2023 | Price from £34,000
Think of Jeep and you think of big, heavy, robust 4x4s, typically diesel-powered and not likely to trouble the sharp end of their class on economy, emissions, or, frankly, how appealing they are inside or to drive.
The Jeep Avenger electric SUV could be the antidote to all of that. Whereas the American brand’s models are usually built with the very different needs of US buyers in mind, the Avenger has been designed and engineered exclusively for Europe, and is the first in a series of new models planned to bolster its appeal here.
The Avenger is closely related to the Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall Mokka Electric but it’s slightly shorter, at just over four metres long, to help improve its off-roading abilities. It gets a 154bhp motor and a 51kWh battery pack that’s good for an official range of 249 miles, and like the e-2008 and Mokka Electric, its maximum charging speed is 100kW.
A petrol-powered Avenger will be available in some European countries, but not the UK.
What’s it like to drive?
While it does have some off-road capability, with Hill Descent Control and driving modes including Snow, Sand and Mud, the Avenger is not a four-wheel-drive car. It has been created to be a good on-road car first and foremost, and has front-wheel drive.
It ticks many boxes on the road, and in general it’s a competent and easy car to drive, with few negatives. Performance is good at low speeds, making it effortless in stop-start traffic, but it becomes a bit more laboured at higher speeds.
Jeeps typically have a tendency to be quite crashy and noisy, but not so the Avenger. The ride is comfortable, and the car is good at absorbing bumps in the road, even on the larger 18in wheel option. The steering is too light, but the car is still easy to place because of its small size, boxy shape, and the fact that you always know where all four corners are.
On our mixed roads test route, an indicated total range of 217 miles was displayed based on our battery usage, so you should expect around 200 miles even when cooler conditions are factored in.
What’s it like inside?
Jeep has made the Avenger class-leading for storage space, with plenty of cubby holes up front. There’s a tray that runs across two thirds of the dashboard and is an ideal holder for your phone, keys, glasses and other oddments, plus a deep storage hole just below the dashboard that has a magnetic folding cover protecting it.
Technology wise, it has two 10.3in screens: one for the driver display, and another for the touchscreen infotainment system. The graphics are slick and it’s easy enough to navigate, but many buyers will instead use the standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring.
The quality of the materials used is average for its class. It doesn’t feel premium, but it’s not cheap-feeling either, and has a pleasing robustness to it. The comfortable driver’s seat makes it easy to find a good driving position, and visibility is good too.
The Avenger is one of the smaller electric SUVs, and is more compact than the Kia Niro EV and MG ZS EV (and the petrol-powered VW T-Roc and Ford Puma). As a result, space is tighter in the back, yet you can still get five adults in the car at a squeeze for shorter journeys. The boot has a capacity of 355 litres, which is at least 10% less than most rivals, but it’s still a good usable space, with a wide entry.
Keyword: 2023 Jeep Avenger review