Jeep launched the Avenger compact SUV as an electric-only model but now petrol models have been confirmed for the UK market
The new Jeep Avenger is to be offered with petrol power in the UK, after a surprise U-turn from the American brand.
At the car’s original launch, Jeep stated that its first European-focused model would be electric only in almost all markets, with the exception of Italy, where EV acceptance is running behind countries like Germany and the UK. The car is still being promoted as ‘100% electric’ on Jeep’s official UK website.
But there’s been mounting speculation that 1.2-litre PureTech petrol-powered editions of the car could be sold in additional countries, and even made in right-hand drive. Now Jeep UK has confirmed that they will indeed be offered to customers here.
A spokesman told Auto Express: “Whilst Avenger is launched as a fully electric model and we expect BEV to be by far the most popular powertrain for the vehicle, it has also been available in certain markets with an internal combustion engine since launch. With high interest levels in Avenger, as well as certain corporate fleets wishing to run both BEV and ICE, this powertrain will come to the UK in the near future.”
No timeframe or prices have been revealed, but a petrol-powered Avenger would almost certainly be pitched at a more affordable figure than the EV. It’s believed that sales of PureTech Avengers could start by the autumn.
Jeep Avenger electric car: full details
The new Avenger is Jeep’s first fully-electric car and was launched early in 2023. Positioned as the first of Jeep’s four-strong lineup of new electric cars (including the luxury-focused Wagoneer S and the rugged Recon), the Avenger EV goes up against small SUVs like the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia Niro EV, as well as rivals from parent company Stellantis in the shape of the Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall Mokka Electric.
The inaugural 1st Edition version of the Avenger kicked off at £36,500 with a two-tone black roof, tinted windows and 18-inch alloy wheels. Now, buyers choose from Longitude, Altitude and Summit trim levels with the starting price of £35,700 but we expect the petrol-powered models to be pitched at around £30,000 when they arrive this autumn.
Customers can customise their cars extensively through their dealership. Around 100 accessories are available, including graphics for everywhere from the roof to the bonnet and the flanks, designed to ensure that no two Avengers will be exactly the same.
Powertrains and batteries
The electric Avenger features the latest version of Stellantis’s electric powertrain because in all but a couple of European countries, it is designed to be a pure-electric offering only. The battery capacity is 54kWh (51kWh usable), comprising 10 cell modules in the rear of the car (beneath the back seats, basically) and seven modules under the front seats.
Elements including a heat pump and a three-phase 11kW AC charger will be standard across the range, along with 100kW DC charging that can take the battery from 0 to 80 per cent capacity in just over 30 minutes.
The Avenger is being introduced in front-wheel-drive form, with a single motor producing 154bhp and 260Nm of torque. 0-62mph is dealt with in nine seconds flat and the top speed stands at 93mph. Jeep claims the 1,541kg Avenger will go 408km (254 miles) between charges on the WLTP test cycle, and as much as 550km (342 miles) in slower, stop-start city situations.
The 1st Edition comes with Jeep’s SelecTerrain and Hill Descent Control systems, which should allow for a decent amount of off-road ability. SelecTerrain comes with six driving modes: Normal, Eco, Sport, Snow, Mud and Sand.
Partnership
Need to sell your car?
Find your best offer from over 5,000+ dealers. It’s that easy.
Sell your car
Rated 'Excellent' Trustpilot
The Avenger sits on an evolution of parent group Stellantis’s e-CMP platform, called e-CMP2. This new architecture has a number of key differences from the tech that underpins the current 2008, Mokka, and DS 3. One of these is an upcoming four-wheel drive version in the form of a 4Xe model – previewed by the 4×4 Concept. Jeep hasn’t confirmed what will power the 4Xe variant. The concept not only has a wider track and larger wheel arches housing all-terrain tyres but the approach and departure angles have been improved. It’s not known how much of the concept’s off-road ability will be offered on the production car but it is due to be launched in 2024.
Design and technology
The overall look of the regular Avenger is predictably chunky – but the design team, which had the brief of “fitting 100 per cent of the brand DNA into four metres”, has done a good job of making its offering clearly a Jeep, and different from other CMP-based models. There’s a wide, planted-looking stance and at the front, an evolution of the Jeep seven-slot front grille that’s now flush to emphasise the car’s electric powertrain. Jeep plans to offer customisation of this part – everything from graphics to illumination. The side profile features a ‘kick’ at the C-pillar, like many larger Jeeps, and the rear has a fresh take on the ‘X’ tail-lights. This motif has also been adopted on surfaces inside the vehicle.
Other rugged features include lights that are set back into their mouldings, for extra protection, and underbody skid plates that are made from a coloured material instead of being painted and thus more prone to scrapes and scuffs.
Regardless of the initial front-drive layout, Jeep says the car is as capable off road as some of its stablemates – with better approach, breakover and departure angles than the larger Renegade. The suspension configuration is MacPherson struts at the front and a twist beam at the rear, though this is likely to change to a multi-link affair for four-wheel-drive editions. The car features hill descent control and six driving modes to help with efficiency and poor conditions – eco, normal, sport, sand, mud and snow.
The internal-combustion engined Avengers will feature a revised grille and single-exit exhaust but will be otherwise identical to the EVs except for the lack of Jeep’s ‘e’ badging. The Stellantis turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder Puretech engine will be offered in the UK with around 110bhp.
Inside, there are up to 34 litres of storage space in the cabin itself, and the boot capacity is 380 litres. Based on our experience with a static display model, the car has a little more rear-cabin space than the Mokka, and decent headroom for six-footers – although an optional panoramic sunroof might make the Avenger less generous on this score.
What does the new Avenger have to beat? These are the best electric SUVs on sale right now…
Alastair Crooks
Staff writer
A keen petrol-head, Alastair Crooks has a degree in journalism and worked as a car salesman for a variety of manufacturers before joining Auto Express in Spring 2019 as a Content Editor. Now a Staff Writer, his daily duties involve tracking down the latest news and writing reviews.
Keyword: New Jeep Avenger: petrol models to join the EV this year